So Stan Wawrinka cruises into the second round, where he’ll play Kevin Anderson. Was the victory ever in doubt? Not really. The match didn’t live up to expectations, Nick Kyrgios too error-prone, Wawrinka always calm and collected and able to put his greater experience to good use. Thanks for reading. Bye.
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Wawrinka speaks. “I always enjoy coming back here. I’m really happy with the way I’m playing already. It was an amazing two weeks for sure, playing the way I played in the final of a grand slam against Novak, it was the best I ever played. But I know how hard it is to start a tournament. Everyone goes back to zero.”
Then comes a question about The Shorts. We love The Shorts. There is banter about The Shorts.
Stan Wawrinka beats Nick Kyrgios 6-3, 6-4!
Biff! Bash! Bosh! Wawrinka has three match points. He only needs one, killing Wawrinka off with an ace. That didn’t take long; a highly impressive performance from Wawrinka. He’ll take some beating this week.
Second set: Wawrinka 6-3, 5-4 Kyrgios* (*denotes server): A fuss-free hold for Kyrgios, but Wawrinka will now serve for the match.
Second set: Wawrinka* 6-3, 5-3 Kyrgios (*denotes server): Wawrinka thunders a backhand from left to right for a 15-0 lead. “Awwwww, massive,” Kyrgios cries, a mixture of annoyance and appreciation for Wawrinka’s ability. Wawrinka accepts the praise and saunters to a hold to love. Kyrgios’s returning needs to improve.
Second set: Wawrinka 6-3, 4-3 Kyrgios* (*denotes server): Kyrgios holds easily. One break and he’s back in the match. Can he find a way to attack the Wawrinka serve?
Second set: Wawrinka* 6-3, 4-2 Kyrgios (*denotes server): A couple of scratchy errors from Wawrinka and suddenly Kyrgios has a couple of break points, a potential path back into this second set opening up out of nowhere. He can’t capitalise, though. The first goes begging when a defensive backhand slice clips the top of the let and lands wide - Kyrgios can’t believe it - and Wawrinka saves the second with a pinpoint forehand winner. Wawrinka then pings a backhand wide to give Kyrgios another opportunity; again, though, a forehand gets him out of trouble and eventually he holds thanks to one more forehand winner, clinging on despite enduring his first stressful service game of this whirlwind match.
Second set: Wawrinka 6-3, 3-2 Kyrgios* (*denotes server): Wawrinka sends a backhand wide and Kyrgios holds. There’s a bit of life left in this set yet.
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Second set: Wawrinka* 6-3, 3-1 Kyrgios (*denotes server): The youngster has obvious talent but he is too impetuous at the moment.
Second set: Wawrinka 6-3, 2-1 Kyrgios* (*denotes server): Wawrinka sends Kyrgios hurtling back to the baseline with a canny lob. Kyrgios wows the crowd with a flashy tweener, but Wawrinka is in the right position to put a backhand volley away for 0-15. A couple of unforced errors from Kyrgios give Wawrinka two break points. Wawrinka is chiselling away at his confidence and he doesn’t have to do much to break, a double-fault from the young Australian doing the job for him.
Second set: Wawrinka* 6-3, 1-1 Kyrgios (*denotes server): Wawrinka holds to 15 comfortably. He’s rarely been under threat on serve.
Second set: Wawrinka 6-3, 0-1 Kyrgios* (*denotes server): Kyrgios does like talking to himself. “I can’t see anything,” he says to no one in particular after winning a point at 15-all. “So bad,” he says after volleying into the net at 40-15. He’s great value. Although he stays quiet after holding on to his serve in the opening game of the second set.
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Stan Wawrinka wins the first set 6-3!
The French Open champion is in control. He races into a 30-0 lead, then guides a forehand past a stranded Kyrgios at the net to earn three set points. He seals it with a forehand. The set is his. It’s not quite as important as the previous one he won - that was at Roland Garros nine days ago - but he’ll be glad it’s in the bag. Kyrgios hasn’t played badly but one erratic game was all it took. The older man has been calmer and more consistent.
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First set: Wawrinka 5-3 Kyrgios* (*denotes server): The pair trade groundstrokes from the back of the court. Then Kyrgios changes the pace with a drop shot, but Wawrinka sprints forward and comes out on top in a dink competition. Kyrgios then duffs two backhands into the net to give Wawrinka three break points. He saves the first with a glorious drop volley but Wawrinka converts the second, a backhand return too good for Kyrgios. Wawrinka will serve for the first set.
First set: Wawrinka* 4-3 Kyrgios (*denotes server): Wawrinka holds, flicking a lovely deft backhand past Kyrgios, who had come to the net.
First set: Wawrinka 3-3 Kyrgios* (*denotes server): Kyrgios appears to be struggling. He doesn’t look well. The heat seems to be affecting him. “Absolutely cooked here,” he says, grimacing after a double-fault at 30-15. “I can’t breathe.” That doesn’t sound good, but he holds. Is Kyrgios the first Australian who’s ever found London too hot?
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First set: Wawrinka* 3-2 Kyrgios (*denotes server): Wawrinka cuffs one of those stinging backhands from left to right, Kyrgios unable to respond. 15-0. A bullet of a forehand makes it 30-0. An ace makes it 40-0. The game ends in bizarre fashion. A blootered Wawrinka forehand is heading long but for some reason, Kyrgios, perhaps out of instinct, sticks out his racquet on the baseline, a confused look on his face, and his brilliantly unnecessary volley goes long. That was odd. It was like he was sleep-tennising.
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First set: Wawrinka 2-2 Kyrgios* (*denotes server): It’s all or nothing with Kyrgios sometimes, a reminder of which comes when he double-faults to make it 15-all. This is an easy hold, though, Wawrinka’s return yet to click.
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First set: Wawrinka* 2-1 Kyrgios (*denotes server): Wawrinka responds, booting down an ace to make it 40-0. Kyrgios then knocks a forehand return long and Wawrinka holds to love. These first three games have whizzed by.
First set: Wawrinka 1-1 Kyrgios* (*denotes server): Kyrgios’s serve is huge and he doesn’t take much time between points, zooming back and forth across the baseline, keeping the ball kids on their toes, always demanding a ball, then zapping back into position, ready to blast down another missile. It’s like he’s been told his life is dependent on completing every service game in the space of a minute. He holds to 30 thanks to two aces.
First set: Wawrinka* 1-0 Kyrgios (*denotes server): Play! Nick Kyrgios won the toss but let Wawrinka decide who serves first. Wawrinka decides to serve. And he begins with with a double-fault! Can Kyrgios see into the future? Did he know that was going to happen? Wawrinka settles down, though, and holds to 30 when he swipes a backhand down the line.
Tok! Tok! Tok! They’re knocking up.
The players are out. STAN WAWRINKA IS WEARING THE SHORTS.
And here’s Kyrgios’s tweener against Nadal. Which do you prefer?
Here’s Wawrinka confiscating everyone’s breath by going round the net with a backhand in the French Open final. I say!
Preamble
Who likes Stan’s shorts? Der der der der der der der! We all like Stan’s shorts! Der der der der der der der! They’re great shorts, after all, the famous tartan number that left fashionistas reaching for the smelling salts and Wawrinka clutching his first French Open trophy after they powered him to a memorable victory over Novak Djokovic in a storming final nine days ago. Now they’re in the Roland Garros museum, donated by Wawrinka, although he’s hinted that he might be wearing a replica pair this week (but not at Wimbledon, of course, where he will be respecting tradition and donning white, there’s a good chap).
Shorts, eh? You’ve got to love it when an entire paragraph is dedicated to a man’s shorts. They’re great shorts! A cracking pair. I’ll be wearing shorts like them on holiday next month. But let’s talk about tennis. Having blown Djokovic away in four magical sets in Paris, frustrating the world No1 in his quest to complete the career slam with a nerveless performance of poise, imagination and spectacular shotmaking, now Wawrinka turns his attention to the grass courts of London, where he has never had much fun.
Wawrinka has been to Wimbledon 10 times and left SW19 at the first time of asking, most recently when he lost to Lleyton Hewitt in the first round of two years ago. Last year he achieved his best result, succumbing in four sets to Roger Federer in the last eight, but overall his record on grass is scratchy. Even so, the way he played at Roland Garros means that his rivals will surely be anxious to avoid Wawrinka in the draw. He has victories in the other slams over Djokovic, Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal in the past two years. He is miles better than he was five, four, three, even two years ago, more consistent, fitter, capable of applying his considerable talent fully on the grandest stages and against the toughest opponents.
We’ll have a clearer idea of his grass-court credentials in an hour or two. This promises to be a tricky opening match at Queen’s for Wawrinka. Nick Kyrgios was also a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon last year - you may recall him dumping Nadal out in the fourth round - and the young Australian, who beat Federer on the clay of Madrid last month, is eager that the way he exploded into the wider public consciousness wasn’t a fluke. His French Open was a mild disappointment, a third-round exit at the hands of Murray in straight sets, and the 20-year-old has been troubled by an elbow injury that has restricted his serving movement in recent weeks, but if the exciting Kyrgios is fit and firing here, this should be a cracking contest.
Play begins at: 12.30pm.
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