Stan Wawrinka (ATP 217) will not play a 32nd final on the ATP Tour in Stockholm. The 39-year-old Vaudois logically suffered the law of Tommy Paul (13) in the semi-final.
The third “oldest” semi-finalist in the history of the ATP Tour, Wawrinka lost 6-3 6-2 to the American after 81′ of play. He nevertheless offered good resistance to a player who had picked up the 1st of his 3 titles on the main circuit in 2021 in Stockholm, especially in the initial set.
Author of some flashes, particularly on the backhand, the former world no.3 paid dearly for the catastrophic service game he delivered at 2-3 in the first set. Too quickly under pressure, he certainly benefited from 3 opportunities to erase this break behind in the next game, but Tommy Paul avoided the danger brilliantly.
Still in the running for a place at the ATP Masters in Turin, Paul also showed too much solidity in the exchange. He also made good use of cushioning against Wawrinka whose legs seemed increasingly heavy as the games progressed for his 4th match of the week.
>> Also read: Wawrinka against Mannarino, Stricker against Griekspoor
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