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Stan Wawrinka kicked off his clay-court campaign at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 comeback victory against the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor on Monday, April 10.
In a match that lasted almost two and a half hours, the Swiss tennis player showed enough grit and courage to overcome a tough opponent in Griekspoor. Stan Wawrinka successfully saved an impressive nine out of 11 break points faced and converted all three break points on Tallon Griekspoor’s serve. He eventually sealed the comeback win on his sixth match point.
After the match, the three-time Grand Slam champion stated that he was happy to be able to cross the finish line in his first clay court match of 2023.
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“The first one, you need to find your game. First match on clay is never easy against a good player, so I am happy to get through that one,” he said in the on-court interview after his first-round win.
The former World No. 3 is contesting in Monte-Carlo on the back of a fourth-round finish in Indian Wells. He has pulled off a couple of commendable runs this year, making the quarterfinals of the ATP Rotterdam and the Open 13. Additionally, in Indian Wells, he also pulled off a stunning upset over World No. 9 Holger Rune.
Wawrinka is now through to the Round of 32 of the Monte-Carlo Masters and has set up a thrilling clash with American No. 1 Taylor Fritz, who is the eighth seed at the Masters 1000 event.
Speaking about his early encounter with the top 10 player, Stan Wawrinka stated that he will have to further raise his level in order to score a win against a “dangerous” opponent such as Fritz.
“I think, the way he’s playing, he’s always going to be dangerous. So, I will have to play better than today,” Wawrinka said. “He’s an amazing player. He’s top 10. He’s been improving a lot, winning a lot of matches, winning a lot of tournaments. He’s really dangerous on any surface.”
Stan Wawrinka has been the Monte-Carlo Masters champion in 2014
Stan Wawrinka, who is currently ranked World No. 88, received a wildcard entry to contest the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters, thanks to his previous heroics at the tournament. The Swiss tennis player’s lone Masters 1000 title came on the clay courts of Monte-Carlo in 2014.
In the event, the three-time Grand Slam champion staged an admirable run, defeating the likes of Marin Cilic and David Ferrer enroute to the final, where he set up a meeting against compatriot Roger Federer. In the ultimate clash, Stan Wawrinka revived himself from the brink of defeat to lift his maiden Masters 1000 title with a scoreline of 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
The years of experience of winning such matches is expected to come in handy for Wawrinka as he clashes against Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, April 12, in pursuit of his second title at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
