Stan Wawrinka concludes 24-year career with defeat in Basel
The Swiss veteran lost his final match to Jiri Lehecka on Tuesday, ending a run that included three major titles.
By Nathan Reed ·
Stan Wawrinka's professional tennis career ended on Tuesday in Basel.
The 41-year-old Swiss lost his first-round match at the ATP 500-level event to Czech player Jiri Lehecka. The final score was 7-5, 7-6 (7/2). Wawrinka announced earlier in the season that this home tournament would be his last as a professional.
Wawrinka reached the number three ranking in the world during a 24-year career. He is one of only two players to win multiple Grand Slam titles during the era dominated by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Andy Murray is the other player with that distinction. Wawrinka defeated Nadal to win the Australian Open in 2014. He then beat Djokovic in the French Open final in 2015 and the US Open final in 2016. Along with Federer, he helped Switzerland win the Davis Cup and secured gold in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The home crowd in Basel reacted strongly to Wawrinka's performance. They cheered when he won points and landed his trademark one-handed backhands. Lehecka broke Wawrinka's serve in the 11th game of the first set to take the lead. He closed the set with an ace. The second set remained tight until a tiebreaker, where the 21st-ranked Lehecka gained control to win the match.
Wawrinka walked around the court to acknowledge the audience after the loss. He had attended a farewell ceremony in the city the previous day. Lehecka described the experience as strange but a pleasure. He told Sky Sports that he will never forget the match.
Wawrinka will appear one more time this year. He is scheduled to participate in a farewell party in Geneva on December 19. The event, titled One last backhand, will also feature Federer and Murray.
Other results at the Basel Open included Arthur Fils beating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to reach the round of 16. Rafael Jodar defeated Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets, and Ben Shelton beat Aleksandar Kovacevic in three sets. Novak Djokovic, who trained with Wawrinka on Sunday, is set to face Ugo Humbert on Wednesday.
Source: Al Jazeera
