Stan Wawrinka makes it through the first round of the ATP 1000 tournament in Shanghai for the fifth time this year on the tour.
Six days after his opening defeat in Beijing against Roman Safiullin, the 39-year-old from Lausanne defeated the Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (ATP 51) 7:6 (7:2), 7:6 (8:6).
Wawrinka did not concede a break in the entire match against Mpetshi Perricard, who is 18 years his junior. At the same time, by winning the two tiebreaks, in which he did not concede a point on his own serve, he improved his meagre season record in the short deciders. He had previously lost nine of ten tiebreaks.
It was Wawrinka's first win in Shanghai for eight years. With another success, he could win two matches in a row for the first time this year. His next opponent is the Italian Flavio Cobolli (ATP 30), who enjoyed a bye in the first round and has never played against Wawrinka before.
SDA
