By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Stan Wawrinka saved two set points in each set squeezing out a 7-6, 7-6, victory over fourth-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov in St. Petersburg.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
Timely strikes and stubborn will empowered Stan Wawrinka to pull off a St. Petersburg squeeze play.
Wawrinka saved two set points in each set edging fourth-seeded Karen Khachanov, 7-6 (10), 7-6 (1), to reach his fourth quarterfinal of the season in St. Petersburg.
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"I'm really happy as the level of my play was really good today," Wawrinka said. "We both played really well, really aggressive."
A year after underdoing two surgeries to his left knee, the 33-year-old Swiss is tiebreak tough. Wawrinka has played four sets this week and won three of them in breakers raising his record to 15-14 on the season.
Applying pressure from the start, Wawrinka mixed his slice backhand with flat drives earning a break point in the opening game.
Two games later, Wawrinka was testing the tall Russian again.
Trying to impose the first strike, Khachanov sailed a forehand long as Wawrinka broke for 3-1.
The three-time Grand Slam champion dodged a pair of break points extending his lead to 4-1.
In the eighth game, Wawrinka showed sportsmanship.
When Khachanov, distracted by an incorrect out call, didn't hit a ball he had a play on the point was awarded to Wawrinka. The Swiss agreed with Khachanov and replayed the point.
Striking with more authority, Khachanov earned double break point when Wawrinka served for the set.
The 2016 finalist, who had been so strong on serve, scattered his second double fault as the Russian broke back for 4-5 at the 38-minute mark.
Drawing Wawrinka forward with a short-angled slice, Khachanov cranked a backhand pass down the line for triple break point. Hammering away at Wawrinka's one-hander, Khachanov was grunting with more vigor when he smacked a diagonal forehand drawing a backhand error to break for 6-5.
Undaunted, Wawrinka zapped a crackling crosscourt backhand pass breaking back to force the tie break.
That's when things got very tricky.
In a topsy-turvy tiebreak, Wawrinka rode a punishing serve to a 6-3 lead.
A stubborn Khachanov fought off five set points—at 3-6, 4-6, 5-6, 6-7 and 8-9—cranking his seventh ace to level at 9-all.
The 88th-ranked Wawrinka scalded a backhand down the line saving a set point at 7-8 and caught a break staving off a second set point when Khachanov netted a backhand.
On his sixth set point, Wawrinka finally closed as the fourth seed netted a flat forehand.
Turning his hips and shoulders into a heavy forehand, Khachanov earned double set point on Wawrinka's serve in the 10th game of the second set.
In prime position for a backhand volley, Khachanov bungled it finding the top of the tape and howling in disappointment. Wawrinka saved the second set point with a punishing serve and worked his way through a tense hold with a defiant shout leveling at 5-all.
Wawrinka's willingness to change direction and take the first strike down the line was the key to a tight test.
Whipping a forehand pass down the line, Wawrinka opened the second-set tiebreak with a mini break then branded the sideline with a scalding forehand down the line.
Playing tremendous defense, Wawrinka warded off Khachanov's jarring attack drawing a mid-court error for 3-0.
Lining up his signature shot, Wawrinka launched a stinging backhand winner down the line to close in style.
The Swiss wild card will play either Damir Dzhumur or Guido Pella for a place in the semifinals.
Earlier today, Denis Shapovalov stopped Spanish qualifier Adrian Menendez-Maceiras 7-6 (3), 6-2.
The seventh-seeded Shapovalov smacked 10 aces, won 31 of 33 first-serve points and did not face a break point in an 82-minute victory.