Tennis
Stan Wawrinka advances to round of 16 at Marseille
The Vaudois was solid once morest the Belgian Zizou Bergs whom he eliminated in three sets.
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Stan Wawrinka started the Marseille tournament very well.
AFP
After his elimination in the quarter-finals in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, last Friday, once morest the Italian Jannik Sinner (ATP 12), Stan Wawrinka returned to competition on Monday, in Marseille, in the first round of the Open 13, a tournament side ATP 250. The 37-year-old Vaudois faced the 23-year-old Belgian Zizou Bergs (ATP 132) and won 6-4 6-7 (6/8) 6-4.
Wawrinka, who is approaching the top 100 in the new ATP rankings since he has been ranked 105th since Monday, took this new position by winning the first set 6-4, in 36 minutes. The two men were very close, but “Stanimal”, solid in the service, knew how to save the two break points that the Belgian had in his racket and was superior on his second balls and on the return.
In the second set, Stan Wawrinka suffered, with a second ball that was less efficient. He even had to save four break points, getting no chance on Bergs’ serve. But the Vaudois is resilient and he was able to hold on until the tie-break. Unfortunately, following an incredibly well-defended final ball by the Belgian, Wawrinka lost it 6-8.
But this hitch did not affect the confidence of the Vaudois who started the third round perfectly by making the entry break and confirming it to quickly lead 2-0. Bergs tried, but the winner of three Grand Slams, very present at the net, was more solid than in the second set. And finally, following two hours 31 minutes of play and a very tight last game, Wawrinka won 6-4.
In the next round, Stan Wawrinka will face a Frenchman: Richard Gasquet (ATP 43, 36 years old) or Laurent Lokoli (ATP 173, 28 years old).
