Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka says he is happy with his level and confident he “can still beat a lot of players.” Wawrinka, a former world No 3, started his Monte Carlo Masters campaign with a 5-7 6-3 6-4 win over Tallon Griekspoor.
For Wawrinka – who is now ranked at No 88 in the world – it was his 10th win in 2023 but the Swiss also has six defeats. “Win as many matches as possible. I’m happy the way I’m playing, I’m happy the way I’m practicing. I have been really pushing myself to still try to improve.
I know my level. I know that I can beat a lot of players. And hopefully, I’m going to get confidence week after week and try to win as much as I can,” Wawrinka said on Tennis Channel.
taking home some TC swag ððð@stanwawrinka | #RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/EZLZjcUrOc — Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 10, 2023
Wawrinka managed to close out the match against Griekspoor
Griekspoor missed out on the first break point of the match in the ninth game but broke Wawrinka in the 11th game to open a 6-5 lead.
In the 12th game, Griekspoor routinely served out for the first set. After losing the first set, Wawrinka saved a break point in the third and fifth games to avoid going down by an early break in the second set. In the sixth game of the second set, Wawrinka earned his first break of the match to open a 4-2 lead.
Wawrinka then held on to his serve for the rest of the second set to force a decider. After winning the second set, Wawrinka also collected the first break of the third set in the third game. Down by a break, Griekspoor refused to quit as the Dutch managed to broke back Wawrinka in the sixth game and tie the third set to three games apiece.
However, blowing an early third-set break didn’t impact Wawrinka, who broke Griekspoor again in the seventh game. In the 10th game – when Wawrinka was serving for the match – Griekspoor saved five match points before Wawrinka converted his sixth match point to complete his comeback win.
