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Cilic also experiences shock loss

Two of the sport’s biggest names — Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic — both suffered shock second-round exits from The Championships at Wimbledon on Thursday.

Three days on from a confidence boosting victory over Grigor Dimitrov, Wawrinka was left disappointed when he lost to Italian qualifier Thomas Fabbiano 7-6(7), 6-3, 7-6(6).

“I'm really happy with my fitness level,” said Wawrinka, who underwent two surgeries on his left knee in 2017. “I've been practising really well the past few weeks. I've been pushing myself, pushing my body.

“I think my level is there. Now it's about getting back the confidence, winning some tough match, finding a way how to win those [big points]. Those little things can change a tournament.”

The 33-year-old Wawrinka, currently No. 224 in the ATP Rankings, is now 6-10 on the year. His best result came in February, when he reached the Diema Xtra Sofia Open semi-finals (l. to Basic).

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Cilic, who lost to Roger Federer in the 2017 Wimbledon final, saw a two-sets-to-love lead evaporate against Guido Pella in another match that was carried over from Wednesday due to rain.

“I was just not feeling as comfortable as yesterday with hitting [the ball],” said Cilic. “I was not as accurate. I was just missing some balls, some easy balls, giving him a chance to come back. That played a part. It was not just the pressure, but it was me not executing on the court well.

“It's still obviously big disappointment to lose in second round. Obviously, I played really well in these past few weeks. I’m definitely disappointed.”

Cilic returned to the All England Club on a high, following a title run at the Fever-Tree Championships (d. Djokovic) two weeks ago. The consistent Croatian also reached the Australian Open final (l. to Federer) in January and is now 28-10 on the season.

Former World No. 3 looking for confidence after narrow opening defeat in Washington
Doubts plague the mind after extended stints on the sidelines and Stan Wawrinka accepts they are taking a little longer than expected to overcome. The two left knee surgeries were a success, while fitness and practice were back on track.

But after a narrow 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(3) defeat to American qualifier Donald Young at the Citi Open on Tuesday, the Swiss conceded the belief still waivered. It was confidence that came only with winning matches and there haven’t been too many of those for the 33-year-old of late.

“It’s a tough loss that’s for sure. It’s painful to lose first round here, especially 7-6 in the third,” Wawrinka said. “I was missing a lot, not feeling the way I wanted. I’m looking for confidence. It’s tough to not win a lot of matches so then you start to think too much on the court.”

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Wawrinka had shown his most promising signs all season that he was beginning to rediscover his best when he bundled out No. 6 seed Grigor Dimitrov in the opening round at Wimbledon. It was a sure-fire shot of that confidence he so desperately needed. Unfortunately, it was short-lived as he fell to Italian qualifier Thomas Fabbiano in straight sets in the following round.

The switch to hard courts in Washington, D.C., was the next test of where Wawrinka stood in his steady return back towards his best. A wild card into qualifying for the Rogers Cup in Toronto will be next.

“It’s a really long process,” Wawrinka admitted. “It’s a different step during the last year, it’s been a year now.

“I feel I’m really close but at the same time, really far. I know the positive right now is that physically I’m feeling really good. The tennis, I’m practising well. I know and I’m sure I will get to where I want to be, but it’s a tough, long process and you have to accept.”


Patience appears to be working for the Swiss. It is the only way he can hit the reset button after so many early misses this season. With Andy Murray having won just his second match in 12 months in his first-round Citi Open match and Novak Djokovic finally back to his winning ways with a run to the Wimbledon title last month, Wawrinka understands how long it may take.

“The year before Roger (Federer) and Rafa (Nadal) came back directly at their top,” Wawrinka said. “But in sport you can’t compare injuries. We all have different problems, all have different injuries, and we’re all trying to be back at the top.

“Some players do it quickly, others take more time. I was happy to see Andy winning. I think it’s great for the game, good for the fans. You never plan to be out of the tour for so long so now I’m looking for myself, trying to get back to where I want. I know I will, I just don’t know how long it will take.

“You need to accept it’s going to be painful. I’ve been there before and it took me a lot of time, a lot of years to win Grand Slams so I’m OK to take a few more months to try to push me and come back.”

Wiem, a nawet jestem pewien, że dotrę tam, gdzie chcę być, lecz muszę zaakceptować, iż to trudny i długi proces - powiedział Stan Wawrinka, który wierzy, że odbuduje swoją dyspozycję i wróci do czołówki męskiego tenisa.
REKLAMA


Nick Kyrgios nie zagrał w Waszyngtonie z powodu kłopotów z biodrem. Australijczyk wyciągnął wnioski z przeszłości
W poszukiwaniu tak bardzo potrzebnych mu punktów do rankingu ATP Stan Wawrinka udał się do Waszyngtonu. Stolicę USA opuścił jednak bez ani jednego "oczka". Odpadł bowiem w I rundzie, przegrywając 4:6, 7:6(5), 6:7(3) z Donaldem Youngiem. - To dla mnie trudna porażka. Przegrana w I rundzie zawsze jest bolesna, zwłaszcza gdy przegrywasz 6:7 w trzecim secie. Ale popełniałem wiele błędów i nie czułem piłki tak, jakbym chciał. Wciąż szukam pewności siebie. Trudno jest wygrywać mecze, jeśli na korcie masz zbyt wiele myśli - mówił Szwajcar.
Ostatnie miesiące dla Wawrinki są wyjątkowo trudne. Z powodu kontuzji i operacji kolana Szwajcar pauzował od lipca ubiegłego roku do stycznia, a następnie od końcówki lutego do połowy maja. A po tym, jak odpadł w I rundzie i nie obronił punktów za zeszłoroczny finał Rolanda Garrosa, w rankingu ATP spadł na 263. miejsce. Aktualnie w klasyfikacji singlistów zajmuje 198. lokatę.

- Czuję, że jestem blisko, ale jednocześnie bardzo daleko. Pozytywne jest to, że pod względem fizycznym czuję się dobrze. Na treningach też wszystko jest ok. Wiem, a nawet jestem pewien, że dotrę tam, gdzie chcę być, lecz muszę zaakceptować, iż to trudny i długi proces - wyjaśniał.

Wawrinka jest w identycznej sytuacji jak również występujący w Waszyngtonie Andy Murray, który także próbuje się odbudować po urazie i zabiegu biodra. Obaj mogą czerpać inspirację z Rogera Federera, Rafaela Nadala i Novaka Djokovicia, którzy też mieli ogromne kłopoty zdrowotne, a od początku sezonu 2017 rozdzielili między sobą tytuły we wszystkich rozegranych w tym czasie turniejach wielkoszlemowych.

- Rok temu Roger i Rafa bezpośrednio wrócili na szczyt. Ale nie można porównywać kontuzji. Każdy ma inne urazy i inne problemy. Niektórym tenisistom powrót zajmuje mniej, a niektórym więcej czasu. Byłem szczęśliwy, widząc wygraną Andy'ego. To świetne dla tenisa i dla jego fanów - skomentował tenisista z Lozanny.

Teraz przed Wawrinką występ w turnieju ATP Masters 1000 w Toronto. Zmagania w Rogers Cup musi zaczynać od kwalifikacji. - Wiele lat zajęło mi, nim zdobyłem pierwszy tytuł wielkoszlemowy. Więc teraz mogę poświęcić kilka miesięcy, by wrócić na szczyt, choć nie wiem, ile to potrwa - dodał

Swiss moves closer to Nadal showdown

Stan Wawrinka stared down 26 aces and an all-or-nothing assault from Nick Kyrgios to reach the second round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto Tuesday. After being routed in the first set, Wawrinka took advantage of Kyrgios' ongoing left hip problems to methodically work his way back into the match and claim a 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory.

With his mobility limited, Kyrgios adopted a swing-for-the-fences approach, crushing a number of forehand winners but also spraying many errors. Wawrinka, meanwhile, was content to play the percentages and outlast his Aussie rival to claim just the seventh win of his comeback season. It was his first win since an opening-round victory over Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon.

"It's never easy to play against him. He doesn't give you a lot of freedom. He can serve big. Games can go really quickly on his side," Wawrinka said. "For sure he's struggling physically... For me, it was important to stay focused on myself, on my game. I'm trying to get some confidence from winning matches."

"My hip is, obviously, a little bit sore," Kyrgios said. "That's why I called the trainer on the court... I haven't played for two weeks. So I walked into the match knowing my hip probably wasn't 100%.

"I was playing well, I thought. It's good to see [Stan] back. He's obviously had a tough 12 months with his injury, and it's good seeing him back winning some matches."


Wawrinka, who reached the Toronto semi-finals in his most recent visit in 2016, is still looking for his best form following two left-knee surgeries. He advances to play Marton Fucsovics, whom he lost to earlier in the year in the Geneva quarter-finals. The winner of that match could face top seed Rafael Nadal in the third round.

The former World No. 3 and three-time Grand Slam champion is currently No. 195 in the ATP Rankings. He was bracing to play qualifying at the Rogers Cup before assuming a wild card reserved for Andy Murray, who withdrew from the tournament after an exhausting run at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.

Kyrgios, who retired in the quarter-finals of the BB&T Atlanta Open with the same left hip injury, withdrew from last week’s Citi Open. He received treatment from an ATP physio during today’s match. The 23-year-old World No. 17 said that he intends to partner Ivan Dodig later today in a scheduled doubles match against Nikola Mektic and Alexander Peya.

In singles, Kyrgios is next scheduled to play the Western & Southern Open, beginning Sunday in Cincinnati.

Swiss to face Nishikori in second-round blockbuster
If Stan Wawrinka is not ‘back’, he is certainly well on his way.

The former World No. 3 continued his comeback from two knee surgeries, beating 12th seed Diego Schwartzman 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 on Monday to reach the second round of the 2018 Western & Southern Open. The Swiss will next face Japanese star Kei Nishikori, against whom he has split eight FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings.

"Those are the kind of matches that I'm looking for. It's important for my confidence. It's important for my game," Wawrinka said. "I think to beat a player like Diego, it's not only important for confidence but it show that I'm playing well, I'm moving well. He's in the top 20 in the world, so it's a big win."


Wawrinka’s ATP Ranking, which dropped as low as No. 263 in June, is currently No. 151. But it certainly doesn’t look like it on the court. The 2012 Cincinnati semi-finalist arrived at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event straight off perhaps his most encouraging performance of the year at the Rogers Cup, where he survived two epic three-setters before testing eventual champion and World No. 1 Rafael Nadal in a third-round loss.

"Little by little it's coming back... I expect some ups and downs the next few weeks, months, because I still know that not everything is back," Wawrinka said. "But the most important [thing] is to keep working, keep doing the right thing, keep pushing in matches, keep winning matches like today. Little by little I'm gaining my confidence. I'm finding a way how to play my best tennis. I'm going to put my fitness back. I still have a lot of work to do, but I'm really positive with where I am right now."

The 33-year-old showed some of his vintage shotmaking against the gritty Argentine, particularly with his one-handed backhand. Wawrinka broke at 3-3 in the decider, and then survived a break point against him in the following game, using the momentum to break Schwartzman for a fifth time to close out the match after one hour, 55 minutes. Wawrinka has now won three of four matches after going through a 3-10 stretch before that.

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Nishikori advanced to the second round by beating #NextGenATP Russian Andrey Rublev 7-5, 6-3 in one hour, 32 minutes.

Rublev challenged Nishikori with his powerful groundstrokes off the ground, but Nishikori used his great movement to nullify the aggression, claiming the final 11 points of the match. Nishikori will try to reach the Round of 16 for the third time in Cincinnati.

Did You Know?
Three of Wawrinka's nine wins this season have come against Top 20 opposition. The Swiss beat Nick Kyrgios last week in Toronto, and defeated reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon.

Swiss continues his impressive hard-court form with straight-sets win over Nishikori in Cincinnati

Stan Wawrinka produced arguably the best performance of his comeback season Wednesday night in Cincinnati, defeating Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-4 to record just his 10th match win of the year.

The Swiss three-time Grand Slam champion moved nimbly and struck his trademark backhand with conviction to set up a third-round meeting with Marton Fucsovics, whom Wawrinka beat last week in a third-set tie-break in Toronto.

Wawrinka said, “I'm really happy with the match, with the level. I think from 1-4 down I started to play really well, moving well, changing a lot of rhythm, being really aggressive, playing the right game. For sure one of the great matches I played, so I'm happy with the level and to have one more win here.

“I feel [my game] is getting there… I was feeling great on the court… I need to just be patient with myself, to accept things that are happening and by doing that, I know that I will get there.”

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Wawrinka showed signs of returning to something approaching peak form last week at the Rogers Cup when he defeated Nick Kyrgios in the first round and pushed eventual champion Rafael Nadal in a 7-5, 7-6(4) loss in the third round.

The 33-year-old continues the hard work to rebuild his ranking following two left knee surgeries in 2017. Currently at No. 151, Wawrinka needed a wild card into Cincinnati and has also been awarded one at the US Open, which begins 27 August.

“There was some really tough moments [after the surgeries]," Wawrinka said. It's been a year now. Today, for sure, I'm smiling, I'm happy. I won two matches here. I beat Nishikori playing a great level. I feel like that what happened last year it's really far, but at the same time I remember it was still really tough for me. You have to [separate] winning matches and the result of how you improved, because you can have a lot of up-and-down after a big surgery like that.”

Nishikori grabbed the early break in the first set but Wawrinka claimed back-to-back breaks in the latter stages of the first set and a third consecutive break in the opening game of the second to break open the match.

Coach Magnus Norman is not in Cincinnati this week but will team back up with Wawrinka in New York. “When we started again in April, we did the schedule until the US Open, basically. For sure I'm sure we both want to keep going. I also have Yannick, I have the rest of my team with me, so we’re trying to find the right balance for everybody to be happy.”

Roger Federer w dwóch setach pokonał Leonardo Mayera w III rundzie rozgrywanego na kortach twardych turnieju ATP World Tour Masters 1000 w Cincinnati. W ćwierćfinale Szwajcar zagra z rodakiem, Stanem Wawrinką.
Marcin Motyka
Marcin Motyka
17 Sierpnia 2018, 21:54
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Getty Images / Rob Carr / Na zdjęciu: Roger Federer
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ATP Cincinnati: Novak Djoković wygrał dwudniowy mecz z Grigorem Dimitrowem. Bułgar nie obroni tytułu
Mecz Rogera Federera z Leonardo Mayerem w III rundzie turnieju ATP World Tour Masters 1000 w Cincinnati pierwotnie miał odbyć się w czwartkową noc. Jednak z powodu opadów deszczu został przełożony na piątkowe popołudnie lokalnego czasu.
Wiedząc, że w przypadku zwycięstwa w piątek czeka go kolejny mecz, Federer z furią ruszył na rywala. W pierwszym secie Szwajcar całkowicie zdominował Mayera. Wygrał tę partię 6:1 z trzema przełamaniami w 23 minuty. Ale w drugiej odsłonie walka stała się wyrównana. W dużej mierze za sprawą Mayera, który zaczął skuteczniej serwować oraz był w stanie odpowiadać na zagrania tenisisty z Bazylei.

REKLAMA

O losach drugiego seta decydował tie break. W rozstrzygającej rozgrywce Federer prowadził już 5-1, ale Mayer obronił meczbola i wyrównał na 6-6. Po chwili jednak Szwajcar zdobył punkt na 7-6, co oznaczało drugą piłkę meczową, przy której zaserwował asa.

Pojedynek trwał godzinę i 12 minut. W tym czasie Federer zaserwował dziesięć asów, ani razu nie musiał bronić się przed przełamaniem, wykorzystał dwa z siedmiu break pointów, posłał 23 zagrania kończące, popełnił 22 niewymuszone błędy oraz łącznie zdobył 69 punktów, o 22 więcej od rywala. Mayerowi z kolei zapisano dwa asy, sześć uderzeń wygrywających oraz 23 pomyłki własne.

Wygrywając, Federer podwyższył na 3-0 bilans bezpośrednich konfrontacji z Mayerem. Dla Helweta to także 12. z rzędu wygrany mecz w Cincinnati. Ostatnią porażkę w tym turnieju poniósł w 2013 roku, przegrywając w ćwierćfinale z Rafaelem Nadalem.

W 1/4 finału tegorocznej edycji, jeszcze piątkowej nocy, Federer, siedmiokrotny mistrz Western & Southern Open, zmierzy się z rodakiem, Stanem Wawrinką. Będzie to 24. spotkanie pomiędzy tymi tenisistami. Częściej, 20-krotnie, zwyciężał bazylejczyk, który wygrał także ich ostatnie starcie - w marcu 2017 roku w finale w Indian Wells.


Wawrinka w piątek udanie dokończył przerwany w czwartek pojedynek z Martonem Fucsovicsem, pogromcą z I rundy Huberta Hurkacza. Tenisista z Lozanny zwyciężył 6:4, 6:3, ogrywając Węgra drugi raz w ciągu dziewięciu dni (poprzednio wygrał 8 sierpnia, w II rundzie w Toronto). Dla Szwajcara to pierwszy awans do ćwierćfinału turnieju rangi ATP World Tour Masters 1000 od marca 2017 roku, gdy dotarł do finału w Indian Wells.

Western & Southern Open, Cincinnati (USA)
ATP World Tour Masters 1000, kort twardy, pula nagród 5,669 mln dolarów
czwartek-piątek, 16-17 sierpnia

III runda gry pojedynczej:

Roger Federer (Szwajcaria, 2) - Leonardo Mayer (Argentyna) 6:1, 7:6(6)
Stan Wawrinka (Szwajcaria, WC) - Marton Fucsovics (Węgry) 6:4, 6:3

After missing last year's US Open following two surgeries on his left knee, Stan Wawrinka returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time since lifting his third Grand Slam title in 2016.
And for the second consecutive major, Wawrinka defeated reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov in a mouthwatering championship opener. The 2016 titlist overcame the eighth seed 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 after two hours and 24 minutes to level his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against the Bulgarian at 4-4 and advance to the second round.
Wawrinka hit 30 winners, including six aces, to emerge victorious and hand Dimitrov back-to-back first-round Grand Slam exits for the first time in over five years. Earlier this season at Wimbledon, the Swiss recovered from a set down to eliminate Dimitrov 1-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(5), 6-4.
The 33-year-old has won 39 of his 50 matches at Flushing Meadows, including each of his eight most recent encounters. Wawrinka has reached the quarter-finals or better in each of his four appearances at the event since 2013.
With three service breaks to none in the opening two sets, Wawrinka quickly established control of the match. The Western & Southern Open quarter-finalist showed signs of his best form, building on his strong performances at recent ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati.
The third set proved to be much tougher for the Swiss, who finally dropped serve in the eighth game after saving his first seven break points of the encounter. Wawrinka quickly responded as Dimitrov served for the set at 5-3, stepping up his aggression to immediately break back, before holding serve for 5-5.
The momentum had clearly swung back in Wawrinka's favour. The three-time Grand Slam titlist secured a second straight break with conviction on his forehand side. In the following game, Wawrinka served out the match to 15, sealing victory with his sixth ace of the match.
Dimitrov drops to 8-8 at the US Open. The 27-year-old's best performances at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center came in 2014 and 2016, losing in the Round of 16 to Gael Monfils and Andy Murray, respectively.
Wawrinka will meet #NextGenATP Frenchman Ugo Humbert, who defeated American Collin Altamirano 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3, for a place in the third round.

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Milos Raonic overcame a spirited challenge from Argentine Carlos Berlocq 7-6(4), 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 to reach the second round. The Canadian, who has reached the Round of 16 on three occasions (2012-14) in New York, hit 63 winners and won 91 per cent of first-serve points to beat the 35-year-old in two hours and 41 minutes.
"I had my moments. a little bit too much up and down and lacked a bit of discipline on my service games," said Raonic. "Otherwise I got the job done and have to be happy with that. When there was pressure on me, I stepped up and I was able to play better in those scenarios."
The Cincinnati quarter-finalist improves to 25-10 at tour-level this season and 3-1 in his FedEx ATPHead2Head series against Berlocq. Raonic will face Gilles Simon in the second round. The Frenchman defeated #NextGenATP South African Lloyd Harris 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and 18 minutes.
"I have to be more disciplined [against Simon]," said Raonic. "He is going to let me get into points... but I have just got to be more disciplined from the start and throughout, especially on the serve."