Stan Wawrinka, the three-time Grand Slam champion, is playing his last season as a professional at the age of 40 and shows that he still has the game to give the next generation more than a good match.
For me, [it] It was important to keep pushing myself and try to win as much as possible. Stan Wawrinka
He reached the third round of the Australian Open as a wildcard and has followed that up by knocking out Hamad Medjedovic in his opening round at the Occitanie Open, a 250 indoor event in Montpellier.
The big Swiss defeated the Serbian 7-6(3) 6-4 to set up a meeting with top-seeded Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime for a place in the quarter-finals.
“I always enjoy it. I’m still passionate about the game,” Wawrinka said. “For me, [it] It was important to keep pushing myself and try to win as much as possible.”
Playing against the 22-year-old Medjedovic for the first time, Wawrinka used his greater experience and serve to control the game and claim a straight-set victory in 98 minutes.
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“It’s always a pleasure to play against the young generation. I was happy to meet him for the first time. A strong player. I’m happy with the level. It’s a pleasure to be back here,” he added.
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There was also interest in 16-year-old Moise Kouame who impressed by reaching the main draw with a successful qualifying run.
In his first ATP tour match, the French teenager certainly showed a lot of potential by taking eighth-seeded American, Aleksander Kovacevik, to three sets.
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Kovacevic, a finalist in Montpellier last year, rallied from 6-7(5) 6-2 6-2 after one hour and 54 minutes, with just one break point in his final service game, which he comfortably eliminated.
“He beat me in the first set,” Kovacevic said of Kouame after their first-round match. “I didn’t feel super comfortable the first game of the week. Then I got used to it a bit and I think he dropped his level a little bit. It’s hard to play against a player like that. I’ve never really seen him play, but I’m definitely impressed.”
The American will next face another French qualifier, Titouan Droguet, who defeated Kovacevic in two tiebreak sets at a Challenger last week.
Three players made it to the quarter-finals, including Adrian Mannarino, who saved three match points to upset fifth seed Ugo Humbert 7-6(4) 6-4 7-6(4) in an all-French battle.
He will play another Frenchman, wildcard Arthur Gea, who squeezed past third seed Tomas Machac as the Czech retired 6-3 4-5.
In the end, Martin Damm, a qualifier from the US, stormed past experienced Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1 6-3
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