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NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 11: Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after winning the third set against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their Men’s Singles Final Match on Day Fourteen of the 2016 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 11, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 11: Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after winning the third set against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their Men’s Singles Final Match on Day Fourteen of the 2016 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 11, 2016 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Veteran Swiss tennis star Stan Wawrinka on Friday withdrew from the ongoing Melbourne ATP event after posting a nervy fourth-round win over Australian Alex Bolt.
A sports journalist put out a tweet confirming that the veteran Swiss player had withdrawn from the event.
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When asked about playing his next match against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in a few hours’ time in a courtside interview, the veteran Swiss said, “(At) my age, I don’t think it’s great but we’ll see.”
The three-time Grand Slam champion came through a tricky three-setter, involving a deciding-set tie-break, on a blustery Melbourne afternoon. There was a moment in the deciding set when the unheralded Australian was serving for the match. However, the experienced Swiss held his nerve and eventually came out on the winning side of an evenly fought contest.
More withdrawals: Wawrinka won’t play the QFs vs Chardy.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) February 5, 2021
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Tennis – ATP Masters 1000 – Paris Masters – AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France – November 4, 2020 Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka in action during his second round match against Tommy Paul of the U.S. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Stan Wawrinka recorded a nervy win against Australian Alex Bolt
Speaking courtside after the win, Wawrinka said he was happy with the way he played and he battled the wind as much as he fought his opponent. “I was playing really well, not easy condition today, with the wind,” the current World Number 18 said.
Conceding that his opponent gave him a tough fight and almost took the honors, Wawrinka said the Australian had put him under a lot of pressure as he struggled for his rhythm.
However, the Swiss said that he eventually managed to find his bearings and got the focus back on his game to come out a winner in the end.
Wawrinka says he had to battle windy conditions to post Melbourne win
Wawrinka added that he was a bit “lucky” with a few of the points that he won, and his opponent was “really up there” in the contest till the end.
On how he adjusted his game to the strong wind, which often made it a struggle to keep the ball in play, Wawrinka said, “You need to accept the condition, try to fight and go through (it).”
After a barren run last year, Wawrinka is determined to add more titles against his name not just on the men’s Tour but also in the upcoming Australian Open and the other Grand Slams.
Read More: “Disappointed”: Stan Wawrinka’s Coach on Unplayable Conditions at Australian Open 2021 Bubble
