WATCH: Stan Wawrinka offers umpire once in a lifetime practice session at Indian Wells
Stan Wawrinka broke serious mode during his third-round win over Holger Rune at Indian Wells.
The three-time Grand Slam champion challenged umpire Mohamed Lahyani to hit a few balls whilst the Danish competitor received medical treatment. During the second set, Rune called for a medical timeout as he needed treatment for a shoulder injury, which left Wawrinka with plenty of time to keep warm and switched on at the side of the court.
In an attempt to remain focused, Wawrinka asked umpire Lahyani if he could play some practice rallies on the court. Politely and with a smile, Lahyani refused the Swiss three-time Grand Slam champions offer and opted to remain in the comfort of his umpire's chair instead,
Eventually, Wawrinka did not need the additional practice to cruise past Rune and reach the final 16 at Indian Wells. The 37-year-old went on to win the contest in three sets, which led to some heated moments between the competitors at the end of the match.
Wawrinka set up a round o 16 match against Jannik Sinner on Wednesday following the win. The Swiss player also beat Aleksandar Vukic and Miomir Kecmanovic in the two previous rounds to reach the fourth round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time since 2020.
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