Wawrinka Falls In Rollercoaster Final Match

Stan Wawrinka’s 16th and final appearance at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters ended with a spirited 7-5, 7-5 defeat to Argentine Sebastian Baez Monday.

The 41-year-old Swiss, who had been hoping to set up a first-time meeting with World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the second round, rallied from the brink of defeat at 1-5 in the second set to claw back two breaks and level at 5-all.

But the 2014 champion let slip a 40/15 lead in the 11th game to hand back the break to Baez, who promptly served out the match to claim his first win in the Principality.

There were early signs of promise in the match for Wawrinka, who crushed four winners to hold to love in the first game – including his signature down-the-line backhand into the corner of the court to close out the game – and soon after he seized a 3-1 lead.

But as the match evolved Wawrinka found it more difficult to penetrate Baez’s defences and he also authored his own demise with 32 unforced errors. Baez had a decisive 14-8 advantage in extended points of 9 shots or more.

Wawrinka, who was hoping to become the oldest man to win a match at ATP Masters 1000 level, finishes with a 22-15 record at the tournament.

Earlier, 13th seed Andrey Rublev played through discomfort to defeat Nuno Borges 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.

“Today was a mental victory for me because I thought I was done,” Rublev said. “But I just told myself, ‘Let’s trust’… and that helped me a lot. In the third set I started to feel better and play better and I was able to win the match.”

The 2023 Monte-Carlo champion next faces Zizou Bergs.

(Photo Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour)