“Don’t Think It’s Great”: Stan Wawrinka Withdraws from ATP Melbourne 2021

Veteran Swiss tennis star Stan Wawrinka on Friday withdrew from the ongoing Melbourne ATP event after posting a nervy fourth-round win over Australian Alex Bolt.

A sports journalist put out a tweet confirming that the veteran Swiss player had withdrawn from the event.

When asked about playing his next match against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in a few hours’ time in a courtside interview, the veteran Swiss said, “(At) my age, I don’t think it’s great but we’ll see.”

The three-time Grand Slam champion came through a tricky three-setter, involving a deciding-set tie-break, on a blustery Melbourne afternoon. There was a moment in the deciding set when the unheralded Australian was serving for the match. However, the experienced Swiss held his nerve and eventually came out on the winning side of an evenly fought contest.

Stan Wawrinka recorded a nervy win against Australian Alex Bolt

Speaking courtside after the win, Wawrinka said he was happy with the way he played and he battled the wind as much as he fought his opponent. “I was playing really well, not easy condition today, with the wind,” the current World Number 18 said.

Conceding that his opponent gave him a tough fight and almost took the honors, Wawrinka said the Australian had put him under a lot of pressure as he struggled for his rhythm.

However, the Swiss said that he eventually managed to find his bearings and got the focus back on his game to come out a winner in the end.

Wawrinka says he had to battle windy conditions to post Melbourne win

Wawrinka added that he was a bit “lucky” with a few of the points that he won, and his opponent was “really up there” in the contest till the end.

On how he adjusted his game to the strong wind, which often made it a struggle to keep the ball in play, Wawrinka said, “You need to accept the condition, try to fight and go through (it).”

After a barren run last year, Wawrinka is determined to add more titles against his name not just on the men’s Tour but also in the upcoming Australian Open and the other Grand Slams.

Read More: “Disappointed”: Stan Wawrinka’s Coach on Unplayable Conditions at Australian Open 2021 Bubble