(Metz) Russian Daniil Medvedev, 4e world, was not reassured before the Masters next month by taking the door as soon as he entered the running in the Metz tournament, beaten by the Swiss comeback Stan Wawrinka (284e) 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, Thursday at 2e round.
Posted at 3:34 p.m.
Offering tennis worthy of his best years, Wawrinka, who was world No.3 in 2014 before sinking in the rankings due to repeated injuries, did not hesitate to get the No.1 seed from the tournament in 2 hours 24 minutes of play.
Regular against an opponent alternating good and bad (nine aces, but twelve double faults for the Russian), Wawrinka, 37, took Medvedev’s service at 4-3 to win the first set (6-4).
Stung, the former world No.1 seemed to be able to take the lead by breaking his opponent quickly in the second set, but he lost his serve just as quickly and the two players found themselves in a breathless decisive game. Medvedev took off (4-1), but the Swiss came back to 5-5 and even got a match point before giving up the second set (9/7).
The spectators, all committed to the cause of the Swiss, could then fear that he would physically let go, he who was arrested for many months due to a tendon injury.
But Wawrinka, who had to go through the qualifications to enter the main draw, started again to lead 3-0 by succeeding a shutout on the opposing service, and did not let go when his opponent reunited at 3-3. He ended up winning on his third match point (6-3).
In the quarter-finals of the Moselle tournament, Wawrinka will be opposed, on Friday, to the Swede Mikael Ymer (100e).
The Swiss, three-time Grand Slam winner (Australia 2014, Roland-Garros 2015 and US Open 2016), had not passed two rounds of a tournament on the main circuit since the Masters 1000 in Rome, at the beginning of May, before being badly beaten by Novak Djokovic.