Wawrinka sets up quarter-final with fellow Swiss Federer
Tennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka in action during his second round match against Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
BASEL (Reuters) - Stan Wawrinka outlasted Frances Tiafoe over three sets to set up an all-home quarter-final against compatriot and fellow veteran Roger Federer at the Swiss Indoors on Thursday.
The 34-year-old Waewrinka, who won 6-3 3-6 7-5, will attempt to beat Federer for only the fourth time when they meet for their 27th clash on Friday in a dream tie for the Basel crowd.
Wawrinka's last win over his countryman was at the French Open quarter-finals in 2015, since when Federer, four years his senior, has beaten him seven times in a row.
Tennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka reacts during his second round match against Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
Earlier, third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas avoided an upset defeat against Ricardas Berankis when he came from a set down.
The Lithuanian, ranked 70th, won the first set in a tiebreak before Tsitsipas took control of his service games to secure the remaining two sets comfortably for a 6-7(4) 6-2 6-4 win.
Sixth-ranked Tsitsipas faced one break point in the match and won 75% of his second-serve points on the way to his 13th quarter-final of the season.
Tennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka celebrates after winning his second round match against Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
The 21-year-old has recovered well from a poor patch of form in August, reaching the China Open final and the Shanghai Masters semi-finals.
(Reporting by Brian Homewood, editing by Ed Osmond and Ken Ferris)
Tennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka with Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. after winning their second round match REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka in action during his second round match against Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas celebrates after winning his second round match against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas celebrates after winning his second round match against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas during his second round match against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas reacts during his second round match against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis in action during his second round match against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis reacts during his second round match against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis in action during his second round match against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas reacts during his second round match against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis before his second round match against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannTennis - ATP 500 - Swiss Indoors Basel - St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - October 24, 2019 Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas before his second round match against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann
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