Wawrinka cruises into Qatar ExxonMobil Open quarterfinals
Doha, Qatar: Stan Wawrinka overcame a mini blip at the beginning of the second set to ease past Jeremy Chardy of France 6-3, 6-4 and booked his place in the quarterfinals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Tuesday.
Top seed Wawrinka was off to a good start at the bright blue court at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex and won the first set 6-3, but he was broken in the second game of the second set and was trailing 0-3.
But Wawrinka got his serve and his groundstrokes going and kept his focus to win the next five games to make it 5-3.
Though Chardy managed to hold his serve to make it 5-4, there was no stopping world No 15 Wawrinka who sealed it win an ace.
"I'm really happy with the first match, first match of the season, after a few months without playing matches. I think the level was good. I was really focused, moving well also," said Wawrinka.
"I've been practising well. I arrive early here to be ready for the first match. Today I play well, so now I'm happy to play doubles tomorrow again and then the next match in singles," he added.
Wawrinka will play Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene, who defeated Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-3, 7-5, in the quarterfinals.
Earlier, eighth seed Frances Tiafoe of the US was dumped out of the tournament in the first round by Hungarian Márton Fucsovics, who won 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Fifth seed Laslo Ðere of Serbia also entered the second round, after defeating Lorenzo Sonego of Italy 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
Cem Ilkel of Turkey defeated Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
In doubles, Germany's Tim Pütz and Denmark's Frederik Nielsen defeated Brazilian Marcelo Demoliner and Matwé Middelkoop of the Netherlands 7-6 (12-10), 6-7 (5-7) 10-7 in the round of 16.
