By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, February 11, 2019
Stan Wawrinka saved three set points subduing buddy Benoit Paire, 7-6 (4), 6-1, to power into the Rotterdam second round.
Photo credit: @ABNAMROWTT
Madness and magic marked Stan Wawrinka's Rotterdam opener.
The 33-year-old Wawrinka combated crazy with calm and timely strikes subduing buddy Benoit Paire, 7-6 (4), 6-1, powering into the Rotterdam second round.
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The Swiss converted four of six break points, breaking Paire three times in a row to seal a one hour, 11-minute victory.
The 68th-ranked Wawrinka will face fourth-seeded Milos Raonic or Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round.
Wawrinka fought off three set points, rallying from 3-5 down in the opener to defeat the 58th-ranked Frenchman for the ninth time in 12 meetings.
It wasn't easy.
"He's a really close friend," Wawrinka said before the match. "We know each other so well. We played many times; it's always a tough match.
"He's, I will say, a crazy player on the court, like he will play really aggressive, a lot of drop shots. He's amazing to watch. He's not easy to play against."
The match featured some creative touch exchanges, epic racquet smashes from both men and ultimately turned on Wawrinka's deeper desire and his sturdier forehand.
The 58th-ranked Paire pumped a backhand down the line and followed firing a forehand winner crosscourt for double break point.
Wawrinka gifted his buddy the break, netting a drive then spiking his Yonex racquet to the court as Paire broke for 4-3.
Down 15-30 in the ensuing game, Paire slid an ace wide sparking a run of four straight points to consolidate.
The 2015 champion saved a set point holding for 4-5 and forcing Paire to try to serve out the first set.
Slashing a short-angled ace wide brought Paire to a third set point, but the Frenchman left a leaping backhand drive hanging in the middle of the court for a Wawrinka pass.
Pasting a forehand into the middle of the net put Paire into a break-point bind.
A tight Paire nudged a backhand drop shot into the bottom of the net in a miscue that prompted gasps from some in the crowd as Wawrinka broke back in the 10th game.
Targeting the Frenchman's sometime flaky forehand, Wawrinka elicited a wild forehand error for a 4-2 tie breaker lead. When Paire netted another tight forehand, Wawrinka had four set points and the volatile Frenchman responded by splattering his Babolat frame to the ground.
On Wawrinka's third set point, Paire sent a backland long ending the 44-minute opener.
Swinging more freely, Wawrinka transitioned smoothly to the front court ladling a forehand drop volley for break point. A big blast down the line sealed the Swiss' break for a 2-1 second-set lead.
After one spirited exchange in the fifth game, Paire, who never met a ball he didn't believe he could drop shot, displayed audacity attempting to drop shot the Swiss while he was scrambling near the service line.
Wawrinka banged a backhand point-blank winner while a frustrated Paire dramatically dropped to the ground as the ball landed.
Victimizing the Frenchman with the down-the-line drive, Wawrinka drew a netted reply breaking again for 4-1.
An apathetic Paire basically capitulated the final game shoveling a drop volley into net as Wawrinka converted his second match point.
Wawrinka raised his Rotterdam career record to 7-2.
Earlier, Italian Andreas Seppi stopped Peter Gojowczyk, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2, to reach the second round where he awaits eighth-seeded David Goffin or Gael Monfils.
Mikhail Kukushkin defeated Dutchman Robin Haase, 6-2, 7-6 (4), and will face either third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas or Damir Dzumhur next.