Former champion Stan Wawrinka is up and running at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. The Swiss star earned a comeback victory against Tallon Griekspoor on Monday, when he overcame the Dutchman 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round.
Competing in front of a packed crowd on Court Rainier III, the 38-year-old Wawrinka rolled back the years to earn his 22nd win at the ATP Masters 1000 event. The former World No. 3 struck 35 winners and sealed victory on his sixth match point to advance after two hours and 25 minutes.
“It was really important to stay calm with myself,” Wawrinka said. “In the first round you need to find your game. The first match on clay is never easy against a good player. I am happy to get through. It was important to fight until the end.”
Wawrinka, who won the title in the Principality in 2014, levelled his ATP Head2Head series against Griekspoor at 1-1. The wild card will next play eighth-seeded American Taylor Fritz.
“He is an amazing player,” Wawrinka said on Fritz. “He is Top 10, been winning a lot of matches. Winning a lot of tournaments. He is very dangerous on many surfaces.”
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Wawrinka arrived in Monte-Carlo off the back of a run to the fourth round in Indian Wells, where he earned victory against Top 10 star Holger Rune. Wawrinka has lifted seven of his 16 tour-level trophies on clay, including Roland Garros in 2015.
In other action, Francisco Cerundolo overcame World no. 14 Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4 to earn the seventh Top 20 win of his career.
The Argentine won 90 per cent (26/29) of his first-serve points and struck 24 winners to advance after 72 minutes, levelling his ATP Head2Head series against Norrie at 1-1. The 24-year-old will next play Matteo Berrettini or Maxime Cressy.
Cerundolo, who lifted his only tour-level title on clay in Bastad last season, arrived in Monte-Carlo off the back of a run to the quarter-finals in Miami, where he beat Top 10 star Felix Auger-Aliassime.
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Italian Matteo Berrettini moved past Maxime Cressy 6-4, 6-2 to snap a three-match losing streak. The 26-year-old has struggled to find his best level this season and will be hoping he can kickstart his year with a deep run in his third appearance in the Principality.
The World No. 22, who saved both break points he faced against Cressy, will next meet Cerundolo.
“It has been a tough start to the year for many reasons. But I am back and I am fighting and playing tennis at a beautiful tournament,” Berrettini said. “I am really happy with the win and thought the level was high.”
Jack Draper made a winning start on debut at the ATP Masters 1000 event, moving past Argentine Sebastian Baez 6-3, 7-5. The 21-year-old lefty, who enjoyed a run to the semi-finals in Adelaide earlier this year will next face 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz.