Stan Wawrinka continues to turn back the years at the Australian Open after coming through a marathon five-set battle with France’s Arthur Gea in the second round.
The Swiss veteran, who is 19 years older than Gea, battled on court for more than four-and-a-half hours before sealing a gruelling 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(10-3) win on the Kia Arena in front of a boisterous crowd that was cheering him on. Throughout the titanic battle, there were plenty of twists and turns, particularly in the second half of the match with Wawrinka breaking in the fourth set when his rival was serving to take proceedings into a tiebreak. Then in the fifth set, he lost a break advantage and failed to convert four break points at 4-4, which would have given him a chance to serve the match out.
With little to separate the two, proceedings headed into a dramatic tiebreaker, which saw Gea struggle with cramping at times. Meanwhile, Wawrinka utilised his experience to pull off the win, hitting one of the shots of the match in the tiebreak with a lob shot that landed in the corner of the court. He then went on to convert his first match point.
“Exhausted,” a delighted Wawrinka replied when asked how he was feeling afterwards.
“It’s my last Australian Open, so I’m trying to last as long as possible.”
At the age of 40, Wawrinka has become the oldest player to reach the third round at Melbourne Park since 1978, when Ken Rosewall did so. A former champion back in 2014, he is making his 75th Grand Slam appearance. He has now won 45 matches at the Australian Open, which places him joint-ninth on the Open Era list for most victories alongside Pete Sampras.
Speaking about his latest performance, the former world No.3 hailed the support of the Melbourne crowd, who helped carry him over the finish line.
“Not only did I have fun, but also you gave me so much energy. I’m not young anymore, so I need your energy.” He said to the crowd.
“It’s an amazing feeling to be on this court, to have so much noise, so much support.
“It was a long match. I don’t know how I’m going to recover, but I’m super happy.”
Wawrinka produced a total of 55 winners, with some of them coming from his signature one-handed backhand. It is a shot that is a fan favourite, but is it as good as it used to be?
“Unfortunately, not,” Wawrinka admits.
“I wish it were. Gave me a few points today, gave me a few misses too, but I’m always going to fight. I’m always going to leave everything on the court.”
Wawrinka will next play Taylor Fritz.
