French Open: Wawrinka back in groove, wins in straight sets

Defending champion enters third round with victory over Japan’s Daniel


Reuters May 26, 2016
Wawrinka was relieved to eventually come through unscathed against a player with just one grand slam win to his name. PHOTO: AFP

PARIS: Defending French Open champion Stan Wawrinka yesterday avoided a repeat of his first-round scare, though he was still made to work hard in a straight-sets win over Japan’s Taro Daniel.

The Swiss third seed won 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 6-4 on a sunny Court Suzanne Lenglen and is now on a six-match winning streak on clay, having warmed up for Roland Garros by winning the title in Geneva last week.

Progress was by no means straightforward against a skilful opponent ranked 93rd in the world and Wawrinka has yet to switch to his A game.

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But he says it’s there when he needs it. “If you look at the first two matches, for sure I’m not playing my best tennis, but I know I have my best tennis in me,” the 31-year-old Wawrinka, playing in his 45th consecutive grand slam tournament, told reporters. “I’m happy to get through in three sets.”

Twice a grand slam champion, Wawrinka needed five sets to scrape past Lukas Rosol in the opening round and found himself in trouble in the first set against Daniel when he trailed 4-6 in the tiebreaker.

The danger was averted with a sledgehammer groundstroke winner followed by consecutive aces, and he wrapped up the set with an angled smash.

Kitted out again in a dazzling fluorescent yellow shirt, Wawrinka controlled the second set but was a break down in the third before finishing with a flourish to secure a third round clash against French 30th seed Jeremy Chardy.

Defending French Open champion survives early scare

Meanwhile, Croatian Ivo Karlovic became the oldest man to reach the third round of a grand slam for 25 years when the 37-year-old came through a marathon five-setter against Australian Jordan Thompson.

Karlovic, seeded 27, banged down 41 aces in a 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (4/7), 12-10 victory against the 22-year-old wild card.

With three of the top seven seeds out of the women’s draw in the first round at the French Open, there was no guarantee Garbine Muguruza would stroll into the third round.

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The Spanish fourth seed, however, barely broke sweat as she swept aside French wildcard Myrtille Georges 6-2 6-0 on a sun-bathed Court Philippe Chatrier.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2016.

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