Stan Wawrinka sets tennis world alight after home fan delight
Stan Wawrinka has delighted home fans again at the Swiss Indoors as he continues his resurgence in his tennis comeback after defeating Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in the second round after failing to serve out the match in the second set.
Two days after a straight-set win over World No.3 Casper Ruud, the 37-year-old Wawrinka wasted a chance for another efficient victory when he let slip a 5-3 lead and Nakashima took four straight games to level the match.
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Wawrinka hung with the 21-year-old American in the decider then converted the only break point of the set to take a 5-4 lead.
The three-time grand slam winner, now ranked No.194 after injury-hit seasons, clinched the victory with a backhand winner.
Wawrinka storming into the third round is a huge relief for home fans after Roger Federer announced his retirement.
While he was going to appear at the Indoor tournament to receive a tribute, Federer announced he needed more time to process his emotional Laver Cup farewell.
And tennis fans were left stunned at Wawrinka's form heading towards the end of the 2022 season.
The Swiss star has comeback from a number of surgeries in 2021/22 and continues to prove why he is a three-time grand slam winner.
Passion never fails β€οΈπΎπ¨ππ«Άπ»ππ» #passion #hardowork #support #switzerland #trusttheprocess #love pic.twitter.com/g1fG6urEJZ
β Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) October 27, 2022
In the first edition of the ATP Basel post Federer, nice to see 37yo Wawrinka still showing how itβs done. If he can find a way to stay fit and healthy in 2023β¦ can still be very dangerous. pic.twitter.com/UivF06rLPx
β JosΓ© Morgado (@josemorgado) October 27, 2022
Wawrinka keeps going in Basel! π₯
Stan claims another win after Casper Ruud beating Brandon Nakashima in 3 sets to book his 2nd quarter-final of the season in Switzerland pic.twitter.com/Un5qvjWDfoβ We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) October 27, 2022
STAN THE MAN! π₯
At 37 years old, after several surgeries, Stan Wawrinka defeats the world number 3 Casper Ruud in Basel (6-4 6-4) ππ pic.twitter.com/Qs0q4Kwyy7β We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) October 25, 2022
Stan Wawrinka is a man on a mission this week: two days after beating World No. 3 Casper Ruud, the Swiss gets past Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals in Basel for the sixth time in his career β first since 2019.
Bautista Agut will be his next opponent.β Gaspar Ribeiro LanΓ§a (@gasparlanca) October 27, 2022
Wawrinka will face Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals on Friday after the sixth-seeded Spaniard eased to a 6-3, 6-2 win over another three-time grand slam champion, Andy Murray.
Third-seeded Felix Augur-Aliassime cruised to a 6-1 6-0 win over Miomir Kecmanovic as he searches for his third straight title.
The World No.9 Canadian won tournaments in Florence and Antwerp over the last two weeks.
Augur-Aliassime's quarter-final opponent is Alexander Bublik, who won 6-3 6-3 against Alberto Ramos-Vinolas.
Aussie Alex de Minaur falls in Basel
Alex de Minaur has endured a tough few days after his hopes of regaining his national No.1 spot from Nick Kyrgios were scuppered last Saturday when Holger Rune defeated him in the semi-finals of the Stockholm Open.
On Wednesday, the 19-year-old Dane returned to again haunt the Sydneysider on a European indoor hard court, winning their rematch - rather more convincingly - 6-2 ,7-5 Basel.
As ever, de Minaur could not be faulted for heart as he tried to battle back from being blitzed in the opening set but Rune, a rare and precocious competitor, showed no hangovers from Stockholm, where he went on to win the tournament on Sunday, as he sealed victory in just under 90 minutes.
with AAP
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