DUBAI // The top two seeds may be through to the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, but the manner in which they advanced could not have been more different.
While world No 1 Novak Djokovic sauntered through the first round in just over an hour for the loss of only three games on Monday, Stan Wawrinka’s route was far more demanding, the world No 4 pushed to the limit by Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsy in a two-hour, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 war of attrition on Tuesday evening.
Read more:
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships live Day 2: Stan Wawrinka survives first-round scare
With relationship mended, Stan Wawrinka names Nick Kyrgios among top picks for future
And there is no question that the Centre Court crowd were all the better for it. Having marvelled at Djokovic’s brilliance, once the match became a procession, the atmosphere started to tail off. Not last night. No one was taking their eyes off the action.
Although there were plenty of booming winners to keep everyone gasping, it was far from vintage Wawrinka. Yet that just served to make the match an even greater spectacle.
Most spectators inside the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium may have bought their tickets to watch Wawrinka, but Stakhovsky also brought plenty to the party. A solid serve was amply supported by wonderful shot variation that kept Wawrinka constantly moving and unsettled.
“It is good for confidence but it was a tough first match,” Wawrinka said.
“I wasn’t playing well at all. I was struggling with the conditions and with my game. I was hesitating, always behind and trying to stay aggressive.
“It’s tough to play against him because he doesn’t give you too much rhythm.
After seven games, neither player was giving an inch, and at that stage it felt as though whoever blinked first would lose the opening set, or so we thought. Wawrinka appeared to move up a gear to break Stakhovsky for a 5-3 lead, and all the reigning French Open champion had to do was serve for a routine first set.
Stakhovsky had other ideas though, and after breaking back to stay alive, the Ukrainian world No 90 stormed to win the next four games to take the set and leave the Centre Court crowd stunned.
The remarkable capitulation, that resulted in a smashed racket and an official warning, had Wawrinka in all sorts of bother, and the Swiss failed to clear the red mist in time for the second set.
After slumping to 2-0, and with no clear indication of a return to form, second-seed Wawrinka was staring down the barrel of a third first-round exit in as many appearances in Dubai. Even the trademark backhand had abandoned him.
Of course, a two-time grand slam champion is made of sterner stuff, and once Stakhovsky gave Wawrinka an opening to level in Game 6, he took it with aplomb by breaking to love. It seemed to spark Wawrinka into life and after reeling off three straight games, the match was all square.
It looked at that point that Wawrinka would run away with the match, but the deciding set went with serve until 5-5, and with his one break point of the set, Wawrinka was serving for the match. There would be no Stakhovsky heroics this time, though, and Wawrinka held to love to take his place in the next round.
“It’s a great win for me. Not playing well, but still winning, still fighting, still finding a way,” Wawrinka said.
“I was playing a little bit better at the end, and trying to be the aggressive player. It’s good to have a chance to play better tomorrow.”
Next up is qualifier Franko Skugor, the world No 188, and after the exhausting battle with Stakhovsky, Wawrinka can be forgiven for wanting a more straightforward contest.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
