Twenty years, one last Grandstand
Stan Wawrinka lost 7-6(4), 7-6(3), 6-0 to Matteo Berrettini on a packed Grandstand court. The scoreline reads like a rout. It was nothing of the sort for two sets, and then it was, and that is roughly how the last stretch of his career has gone.
The 41-year-old Swiss retires at the end of the season. This was his final Grand Slam match, and he almost did not get to play it. Wawrinka applied for a wild card and was left out of the singles field. The reaction from fans was loud enough to matter, though what actually opened the door was American Patrick Kypson withdrawing with an injury.
“It’s been 20 years since the first time I came here. It was amazing for me to feel the New York vibes throughout the years. I found the way to play my best tennis here,” Wawrinka said.
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Chances that would not convert
He broke to love when Berrettini served for the opening set, then earned a set point in a marathon game the Italian survived across four deuces. Berrettini took the tiebreak with three straight points.
The second set gave Wawrinka more. A brief rain delay was followed by an early break, and then seven break points, three of them set points. None went in. Berrettini kept escaping, broke back, and won a second tiebreak to move within a set of the finish.
The third opened with a 16-minute game and a challenge from Berrettini over a possible double hit that went nowhere. While the officials deliberated, the two players hugged and laughed about it. Then Berrettini broke three times and served out a bagel.
The wildcard he wanted
Wawrinka won this title in 2016 and reached world number three at his peak. Before the tournament he said he was at peace with the career and simply grateful for the chance.
“One of the reasons I played until 41 was to live these moments. I’m very grateful for this wildcard. It was very important for me to finish here, where I won a Grand Slam 10 years ago. I want to thank you all for all these years,” he said.
He stayed on court afterwards and conducted the crowd. Berrettini, a semi-finalist here in 2019, meets Mariano Navone next, the Argentine who knocked out fourth seed Novak Djokovic in five sets on Sunday.
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