Stan Wawrinka’s incredible act of sportsmanship
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka has produced an incredible moment of sportsmanship at the St Petersburg Open.
The 33-year-old Swiss star was up against Karen Khachanov when the Russian was left utterly perplexed by an umpiring decision that was not in his favour.
Wawrinka’s opponent decided to leave a forehand winner that was initially called ‘out’ by the linesman, but overruled by the chair umpire as ‘in’.
Khachanov quickly challenged the call to have it overturned, but the eagle-eye camera agreed with the chair umpire’s final decision.
The Russian fourth seed was quick to argue the point, before Wawrinka decided to get involved.
“I didn’t hit the ball, because the guy (linesman) called it,” Khachanov argued.
“Did you really leave it because he called it?” asked Wawrinka, approaching the net.
“For sure I would get it,” the Russian responded.
Wawrinka then showed is class despite the tight scoreline, “ok, let’s replay the point.”
He managed to advance to the quarter-finals of the Open after the gutsy win in two tie-break sets.
He knocked off world number 24 Khachanov 7-6 (12/10), 7-6 (7/1) and awaits the winner between defending champion Damir Dzumhur and Guido Pella.
“I’m really happy as the level of my play was really good today,” Wawrinka said. “We both played really well, really aggressive.
“I was expecting a tough match and it was really tough. My level was great and I’m really happy with everything that took place on the court today.”
Wawrinka, the former world number three, who is now down at 88 after a battle with injury, started confidently breaking his rival’s serve early.
But the Swiss, who has been struggling to find his best form since returning to the ATP Tour after two operations on his left knee a year ago, suddenly lost his nerve to allow the local favourite to break twice in succession.
Khachanov, 22, was serving for the set but Wawrinka broke again to level and force a tie-break, closing it out at the sixth attempt having also saved two set points.
Wawrinka then raced through another tie-break to seal victory over Khachanov in the first meeting between the pair.
Fifth-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut and Canada’s Denis Shapovalov, the seventh seed, reached round two with respective wins over qualifiers Luca Vanni, 7-5, 6-2, and Adrian Menendez-Maceiras, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.
Stan Wawrinka won his last title at the 2017 Geneva Open in his native Switzerland
with AFP.
