Switzerland had lost their two opening games, but managed to keep their hopes of progression to the Euro 2012 alive with their win over Wales.
Hitzfeld said: “We played very well to get ourselves into a 1-0 lead.
“Unfortunately we conceded but the team reacted well and showed they were willing to battle.
“When Alex Frei dropped back into midfield we were able to get a better a hold on the game.
“We did not want to hold a 2-1 lead but score a third goal.
“The key moment was the penalty and I was very pleased Gokhan Inler kept a cool head to score.
“Valentin Stocker then got the opportunity to score a second goal in his home stadium but compliments to the whole team.”
