Stan Wawrinka Upsets Andrey Rublev to Reach Stockholm Semi-Finals
Wawrinka's Reflections After his win, Wawrinka expressed gratitude for the support he received from the crowd. "The key was to stay focused and positive with myself," he stated. "Andrey is such an amazing player, but I was feeling good on the court, I was moving well. I could start to dictate a little bit, and with so much support from the crowd, it is easier to fight on the court." By reaching the semi-finals for the first time in four appearances at Stockholm, Wawrinka has become the third-oldest semi-finalist in ATP Tour history, following Jimmy Connors and Ivo Karlovic. He acknowledged his age but emphasized the importance of his mindset: "I cannot change my age, but most important for me is that when I enter the court, I always try to fight."
In a surprising turn of events, veteran tennis player Stan Wawrinka triumphed over top seed Andrey Rublev to secure his place in the semi-finals of the Stockholm Open. This victory marks Wawrinka's first top-10 win since Cincinnati last year.
Match Overview
Wawrinka, who is 39 years old and ranked 210 places below Rublev, showcased an impressive performance, winning the match 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5) in just 1 hour and 53 minutes. The Swiss star hit 33 winners and served up 14 aces, demonstrating both skill and resilience on the court.
Wawrinka's victory sets up a semi-final clash against American Tommy Paul, who also advanced after defeating Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic with a score of 7-6 (11-9), 6-2 in 1 hour and 44 minutes.
Wawrinka's Reflections
After his win, Wawrinka expressed gratitude for the support he received from the crowd. "The key was to stay focused and positive with myself," he stated. "Andrey is such an amazing player, but I was feeling good on the court, I was moving well. I could start to dictate a little bit, and with so much support from the crowd, it is easier to fight on the court."
By reaching the semi-finals for the first time in four appearances at Stockholm, Wawrinka has become the third-oldest semi-finalist in ATP Tour history, following Jimmy Connors and Ivo Karlovic. He acknowledged his age but emphasized the importance of his mindset: "I cannot change my age, but most important for me is that when I enter the court, I always try to fight."
Other Tournament Highlights
In the WTA circuit, Daria Kasatkina made headlines by saving two match points to defeat Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 1-6, 7-6, reaching the semi-finals of the Ningbo Open in China. Despite struggling with her game statistics, including nine fewer points and eight double faults, Kasatkina's fighting spirit led her to a comeback win.
"I didn't want three sets, for sure," Kasatkina said. "But I was expecting something like that, because always when I play against Yulia something like that happens. If you fight, 99 per cent of the time you get your chance."
Kasatkina's next challenge will come against Paula Badosa, who won her match against Beatriz Haddad Maia with a score of 6-3, 6-2.
Additionally, Mirra Andreeva, just 17 years old, advanced when Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic retired during their match at the Japan Open. In Osaka, qualifier Aoi Ito continued her impressive run in her debut WTA Tour event by defeating Eva Lys 6-7 (8-10), 6-2, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals.
The other semi-final match in Osaka will feature Diane Parry, the seventh seed, against Suzan Lamens.
Upcoming Events on Sky Sports Tennis
This month’s schedule includes several exciting tournaments:
- Almaty Open, Kazakhstan - ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- Stockholm Open, Sweden - ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- European Open, Antwerp - ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- Japan Open, Osaka - WTA 250 (October 14-20)
- Ningbo Open, China - WTA 500 (October 14-20)
- Erste Bank Open, Vienna - ATP 500 (October 21-27)
- Swiss Indoors, Basel - ATP 500 (October 21-27)
- Guangzhou Open, China - WTA 250 (October 21-27)
- Toray Pan Pacific Open, Tokyo - WTA 500 (October 21-27)
Stay tuned for more thrilling matches and updates!
