Štrombahs falls in qualifying decider, doubles campaign continues

Latvian tennis player Roberts Štrombahs, 26, missed out on a place in the main draw of a Challenger event after losing in the decisive round of qualifying to a 30-year-old German opponent, whom bookmakers had rated a slight favorite at odds of 1.72.

Seeded fifth, Štrombahs fought back to 4:3 in the second set but then lost the remaining games and the match, which lasted 63 minutes.

Match statistics

His opponent was superior across the board, winning 90% of first-serve points compared to Štrombahs' 70%, and 55% of second-serve points against 48%. The German also led in total points won, 45-34, and in break points converted, 4/5 to 3/4. The ace-to-double-fault ratio (5-2 versus 1-6) likewise favored the opponent. The head-to-head record between the two now stands at 2-1 in the German's favor.

For reaching the second qualifying round, Štrombahs will collect a $305 prize and one ATP ranking point. His updated ranking has not yet been published, with the latest available list dated August 10.

Doubles run continues

While his singles run has ended, Štrombahs' doubles campaign goes on - together with German partner Jannik Opitz, he will play a round-of-16 (1/8 final) match tomorrow. Over his career, Štrombahs has won 16 doubles titles, five of them alongside German player Kai Wehnelt, his most successful partnership. With his second most frequent partner he has won two titles.