Wawrinka out in Washington 1st round
STAN Wawrinka’s surgically repaired left knee is just fine. What’s missing now for the three-time major champion as he goes through a rough season is the selfbelief that comes with success.
Wawrinka’s latest quick exit came on Tuesday night at the Citi Open in Washington DC, a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3) loss against 234th-ranked qualifier Donald Young of the US in the first round of the hardcourt tournament.
“I was missing a lot. Not feeling the way I wanted. I’m looking for confidence, for sure,” said Wawrinka, who was ranked No. 3 but is merely 198th at the moment on account of a 6-11 record in 2018 after two knee operations last year. “It’s tough to not win a lot of matches. Then you start to think too much on the court.”
This was Wawrinka’s first match since bowing out of Wimbledon in the second round in early July; his ranking is so low that he needed a wildcard entry just to get into qualifying for his next event, in Toronto.
The only other time Wawrinka entered the US Open tuneup in Washington, in 2010, he also lost his opener.
Right now, his issue is the doubt can creep up at key points in a match.
“I feel I’m really close but, at the same time, really far. The positive right now is that physically, I’m feeling good. Tenniswise, I’m practicing well. I can put (in) a lot of work on the court,” said Wawrinka, who has won the US Open, Australian Open and French Open once apiece. “I know and I’m sure I will get where I want to be. It’s just tough. It’s a long process and you have to accept (it).”
He and Young, who came into the day with just a 2-10 record this year, were supposed to play on Monday night. But because of rain delays and a lengthy match before theirs, they only made it onto the court to warm up at 1am, and then a downpour arrived, so the contest was postponed.
Wawrinka got broken in the first game on Tuesday by dumping a forehand into the net; that turned out to be the match’s only break. Wawrinka then was two points from losing at 3-5 in the secondset tiebreaker. But a series of miscues by Young, including a double-fault at 5-4, sent them to a third set. This time, Young held on, and he’ll face 2014 US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori.
No. 1 seed and defending champion Alexander Zverev took the first set against Malek Jaziri 6-2 in the main stadium’s final match when play was suspended for the night after 1am because of rain.
In earlier action, local product Denis Kudla — who is staying at his parents’ home in nearby Arlington, Virginia, this week — collected his first victory in seven attempts at the Citi Open, coming back to beat Lukas Lacko of Slovakia 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-4.
Marcos Baghdatis, the 2010 runner-up, advanced with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Benoit Paire, who drew boos from spectators after a racquet-breaking tantrum. Vasek Pospisil, a finalist in 2014, lost to Alex de Minaur 7-6 (6), 2-6, 3-6.
Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki pulled out of the women’s draw because of an injured right leg, while defending champion Ekaterina Makarova lost her first-round match to Ana Bogdan 6-7 (2), 3-6.
No. 2 seed Sloane Stephens, the reigning US Open champion, moved into the second round with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands.