Stan Wawrinka makes US Open historical past after first-round win

Stan Wawrinka grew to become the oldest man to win a match on the US Open on Wednesday earlier than declaring that he needed extra. The Swiss former world No 3, who was champion at Flushing Meadows seven years in the past, hadn’t received in New York since 2019.

However, he was too scorching to deal with for Yoshihito Nishioka, who had no reply to Wawrinka’s punishing groundstrokes. The three-times Grand Slam winner served up 12 aces and hit 389 winners in a surprising 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory in opposition to one other top-50 opponent.

And on the age of 38, Wawrinka grew to become the oldest man to win a singles match on the US Open since 1992 when Jimmy Connors triumphed on his fortieth birthday.

Beating world No 44 Nishioka is not any straightforward feat however Wawrinka, ranked 5 locations decrease than his Japanese opponent, was as much as the duty and hungry for extra.

Speaking in a post-match courtside interview, he mentioned: “I was expecting a great match against a great player, but I played really well… and I want more.”

Wawrinka’s final win on the New York slam got here 4 years in the past within the Round of 16 when two units to the great in opposition to Novak Djokovic, the Serbian was compelled to retire. But Wawrinka missed each the 2020 and 2021 tournaments with an damage himself earlier than his 2022 return was ended within the first spherical by Frenchman Corentin Moutet.

Victory in opposition to Nishioka marked one other milestone for Wawrinka. It was his forty fifth profession win on the US Open which is essentially the most victories he has had at some other main, presently tied with the French Open the place he has additionally amassed 45 wins.

It was on the US Open that he achieved his first Grand Slam quarter-final and semi-final appearances in 2010 and 2013 respectively.

The opening set in opposition to Nishioka proved to be essentially the most tightly contested, with a tie-break reaching 5-5 earlier than the Japanese star handed his opponent the set with two backhand errors.

Pressure mounted within the second set with Wawrinka damaged for the primary time, however Nishioka was damaged on both aspect of that sport resulting in a 6-2 end in favour of the Swiss native.

Wawrinka then broke Nishioka within the seventh sport of the ultimate set earlier than serving out the match. The Swiss will now face Argentinian Tomas Etcheverry within the second spherical at Flushing Meadows.