Stan Wawrinka still not ‘physically and tennis-wise ready’, but pleased with progress despite defeat

His first ATP Tour match in 13 months ended up in defeat, but Stan Wawrinka feels he is moving in “the right direction” and felt his loss against Alexander Bublik at the Monte Carlo Masters went “way better” than he anticipated.
Three-time Grand Slam winner Wawrinka’s previous top-level match was at Dohan in 2021 as he underwent two foot operations last year, but he took a tentative step back at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Marbella a fortnight ago and stepped it up at the ATP Masters 1000 in the Principality on Monday.
After a strong start, the former world No 3 went down 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 against Bublik in just over two hours.
First win in Monte-Carlo ✅
Alexander Bublik holds off a resurgent Wawrinka 3-6 7-5 6-2 to reach R2 at #RolexMCMasters pic.twitter.com/RyP5zmrVeJ
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 11, 2022
It was a poor start from Wawrinka as he was broken in the first game, but he hit back immediately before a second break in game six earned him the set.
After failing to convert three set points in game 10, Bublik finally broke in game 12 to take it to a decider and he then ran away with things with three breaks.
There were plenty of positives for Wawrinka after the game.
“It was a way better match. I think the body’s getting much better. I’m still far away from where I want to be, but I think I’m [moving in] the right direction,” he said. “I think today was a positive match. It was a tough loss, of course, but I’m happy with the way I was playing today.”
He added: “I knew coming here that I’m not physically and tennis-wise ready. I wanted to play a few matches with the Challenger two weeks ago. Now we are practising with the top guys to get my level a bit better.
“But I knew and I didn’t expect to play already the way I want to play, so I knew it would be difficult. As I said, I think it was much better than what I was expecting today.
“I was playing better, feeling better on the court of course physically, tennis-wise, and also I spent a lot of mental energy to focus, to stay there as it was tough at the end. But again, I’m happy with what I have done today.”
Bublik will face Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round after the 13th seeded Spaniard defeated qualifier Sebastian Baez 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
Ninth seed Jannik Sinner also had to work for his win as the Italian claimed a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 win over Borna Coric.
In the top half, 12th seed Diego Schwartzman beat Karen Khachanov 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-3 while Fabio Fognini earned a mouth-watering clash against third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win over Arthur Rinderknech from France.
Latest
-
Tennis News
‘Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer always accepted defeat better than Novak Djokovic’, claims former star
A retired ATP star has weighed in on the GOAT debate and claimed “the true champion is seen in defeat”
-
News
Why Novak Djokovic’s young protégé Miomir Kecmanovic is a player to watch in 2024
Kecmanovic may only be ranked at No 55 in the current ATP list, but Kecmanovic looks ready to take his career to the next level.
-
Tennis News
Tennis legend backs Coco Gauff to win 2024 Wimbledon in Carlos Alcaraz comparison
A tennis legend would be surprised if Coco Gauff does not win another Grand Slam title next year.
-
Tennis News
Italian tennis legends and media forced into rapid backtrack after brutal Jannik Sinner criticism
Sinner’s decision to pull out of Italy’s Davis Cup squad for the Group Stage Finals in September was widely crticised by the Italian media
-
Tennis News
Carlos Alcaraz’s coach makes admission about watching ‘outrageous’ Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has spoken about watching Novak Djokovic perform.
-
Tennis News
Renowned coach offers to make Emma Raducanu ‘bulletproof’ and help her win ‘again and again’
A coach who has worked with some huge names has made Emma Raducanu a bold offer.
-
Tennis News
Iga Swiatek’s praise for ‘undisputed leader’ Ashleigh Barty as she opens up about ‘great loss for the sport’
Iga Swiatek discusses how Ashleigh Barty’s retirement affected her career.
-
Tennis News
Novak Djokovic’s former coach predicts how long the Serbian can remain at the top level
Novak Djokovic’s former coach has discussed how long he can keep going and Jimmy Connors’ title record.
-
Tennis Features
Eight players who served 500+ aces during 2023 ATP season with one big server in a class of his own
Your top ace servers for the 2023 ATP Tour season…
-
Davis Cup
WATCH: Italy’s Davis Cup celebrations as hero Jannik Sinner reserves special praise for one team member
Jannik Sinner’s heartwarming message to Matteo Berrettini.