Three-time grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka has kicked-off his campaign at the Mexican Open with a 6-4, 7-6(6), win over Ryan Harrison in the first round.
Wawrinka, who is unseeded in this year’s draw, enters the tournament in fine form. Recently reaching his first ATP Final since June 2017 at the Rotterdam Open, where he lost in three sets to Gael Monfils. This week he is hoping to go one step further in Acapulco.
“I feel wonderful after three months of problems, I return here this year and since I arrived I started to practice, people have received me very well, I love playing here.” Wawrinka told reporters on Monday.
Facing world No.93 Harrison, Wawrinka blasted nine aces past his opponent and won 88% of his first service points. In both sets he broke the American at the start, but in the second Harrison broke back to force a tiebreaker. Nevertheless, Wawrinka held his nerve to clinch the straight sets win. Claiming victory with his 26th winner of the match.
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Next up for the 33-year-old will be seventh seed Steve Johnson, who reached the quarter-finals in Delray Beach last week. Johnson defeated Mexican wildcard Gerardo López Villaseñor 7-5, 7-5. During the match, Johnson could only get 46% of his first serves in.
Wawrinka currently holds a winning 2-1 head-to-head record against Johnson. Although he lost their most recent meeting in straight sets at the Italian Open last May.
In other matches, sixth seed Frances Tiafoe required more than two hours to edge out Jordan Thompson 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The roller coaster encounter saw Tiafoe hit 25 winners to 30 unforced errors.
John Millman experienced a more straightforward route into the last 16. The Australian downed Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-4. Setting up a clash with Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk, who defeated Italian qualifier Federico Gaio 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
