Former French Open champion Stan Wawrinka handed Andy Murray a 6-4 6-4 6-2 first-round defeat beneath the lights at Roland Garros on Sunday, prematurely ending what is probably going the Briton’s final look on the claycourt Grand Slam.
Switzerland’s Wawrinka got here into the conflict having received two of the duo’s three clashes on the main, together with a draining five-setter within the 2017 semi-finals from which Murray’s creaking hip by no means recovered and ultimately pressured him to have surgical procedures.
Having despatched Murray packing in straight units within the opening spherical 4 years in the past, the 39-year-old Wawrinka shot out of the blocks once more within the duo’s twenty third profession assembly by grabbing a break within the first recreation.
The 2015 champion wrapped up the opening set on the again of a few booming serves and pounced within the third recreation of the second set with a string of heavy single-handed backhands from the baseline to heap the stress on Murray.
Murray, who at 37 has acknowledged that he’s unlikely to play past the summer season, rode a wave of help at Philippe Chatrier courtroom and battled on however was unable to stop fellow three-times Grand Slam champion Wawrinka from going two units up.
A medical timeout for Wawrinka’s left calf difficulty delayed the beginning of the third set, however 2016 runner-up Murray’s motion was additionally compromised on account of an obvious leg difficulty that allowed his opponent to run away with the competition.
Source: www.thehindu.com