Stan Wawrinka advanced to the second round of the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters after beating Tallon Griekspoor.
In the past, the ATP 1000 event in Monte Carlo was one of the most successful for the Swiss player. In fact, his only Masters' title came at this tournament and he also holds the second-best win rate out of all ATP 1000s in Monte Carlo, winning 66% of the matches that he played here.
But in recent years, he wasn't so successful. In 2020, the tournament was not held and Wawrinka missed it in 2018 and 2021. When he attended last year, he won already in the first round to Alexander Bublik, and Wawrinka's last win came in 2019 when he defeated Lucas Pouille in the first round.
In the first round of the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters, the Swiss player, who received a wild card as the former champion, took on Tallon Griekspoor from the Netherlands. the Dutch player doesn't have the best clay-court record and so it was a good chance for Wawrinka to record a victory.
But Griekspoor started the match better. Both players held onto their service games in the first set and for a moment it appeared that it will have to be decided in a tie-break. But Griekspoor broke his opponent in the eleventh game and after another comfortable hold, he won the first set 7-5.
But Wawrinka was no stranger to three-set matches lately and he fought in the second set to play another one. Griekspoor had two break points in the first five games, but the Swiss player used his only chance in game number six and eventually won the second set 6-3, forcing a decider.
In the third set, Griekspoor had many more break points than his opponent once more. But effectivity proved to be the deciding factor in the match as Wawrinka used all of his three break points, while the Dutch player used only two of eleven that he had.
That resulted in a three-set win for Wawrinka 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 after nearly two and a half hours. Up next, the Swiss player will take on the eighth-seeded Taylor Fritz from the United States.
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