Stan Wawrinka sets date for early Monte Carlo popcorn clash with Taylor Fritz

Stan Wawrinka showed the value of composure as he fought back from a set down to oust Tallon Griekspoor from the Monte Carlo Masters on Monday.

Wawrinka goes on to a second round date with American No 1 Taylor Fritz who was handed a bye into the second round as the eighth seed for the ATP 1000 event.

The former French Open champion is still quite the draw in Monte Carlo with packed stands greeting him on a Monday afternoon.

His 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 victory over the ever-improving Dutchman was hard-earned.

“It was really important to stay calm with myself,” Wawrinka said.

“In the first round you need to find your game. The first match on clay is never easy against a good player. I am happy to get through. It was important to fight until the end.”

Wawrinka struck 35 winners over the course of the three-setter and sealed victory on his sixth match point to advance after two hours and 25 minutes.

Fritz isn’t known for his game on clay but Wawrinka feels that he will be a tough opponent in the next round.

“He is an amazing player,” Wawrinka said on Fritz. “He is Top 10, been winning a lot of matches. Winning a lot of tournaments. He is very dangerous on many surfaces.”

Wawrinka touched down in Monaco fresh off a run to the fourth round at Indian Wells, during which he defeated Top 10 talent Holger Rune.

The 38-year-old has also won seven of his 16 tour-level titles on clay, including Roland Garros in 2015.

In other action from Monte Carlo, Francisco Cerundolo won his third Top 20 match by defeating World No 14 Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4.

The Argentine won 90% of his first-serve points (26/29) and struck 24 winners in 72 minutes to square up their ATP head-to-head series with Norrie at 1-1. Next up for the 24-year-old will be either Italy’s Matteo Berrettini or American Maxime Cressy.

Cerundolo, who won his only tour-level clay tournament in Bastad last season, arrived in Monte-Carlo hot off a run to the Miami quarter-finals, where he defeated Top 10 talent Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Jack Draper defeated Argentine Sebastian Baez 6-3, 7-5 in his first encounter at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Andy Murray will also be in action on Monday in Monte Carlo as he takes on Australian Alex de Minaur in his opening assignment at the Masters event.

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