April 10, (THEWILL) – Former Monte Carlo Masters champion, Stan Wawrinka, clawed his way back from a set down to defeat Tallon Griekspoor 5-7 6-3 6-4 in the first round on Monday.
The Swiss veteran, who won the tournament in 2014, looked to be in trouble after losing the opening set. However, the 38-year-old dug deep to take control of the match, dominating the second set and breaking early in the decider. Wawrinka, who is the oldest player in the tournament, had previously lost to Griekspoor in their only other encounter in 2018.
However, the Swiss star was determined to exact revenge and held his nerve to close out the match on his sixth match point. Speaking after the match, Wawrinka acknowledged the challenge that lies ahead as he faces off against world number 10, Taylor Fritz, in the second round.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray’s return to the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time since 2017 ended in disappointment as he fell to a straight-sets defeat against Australian Alex de Minaur. The former world number one has been plagued by hip injuries in recent years, and his struggles on clay were evident as De Minaur cruised to a 6-1 6-3 victory in just 86 minutes.
Despite the loss, Murray will take solace in the fact that he gained direct entry into the tournament due to several high-profile withdrawals, including world number two, Carlos Alcaraz and 11-time champion, Rafael Nadal.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
