MONACO, April 12: Alexander Bublik cut short Stan Wawrinka’s return to the tour, defeating the Swiss 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters in his first singles in 13 months.
Wawrinka started off confidently against the Kazakh, winning the first set with ease. He staved off three set points in the second to hold for 5-5 but appeared tired. In the decisive third, Bublik pulled ahead and wrapped up the match in just over two hours on Monday.
Wawrnika, 37, last competed on tour in March 2021 when he lost his opening match at the Qatar Open. He’s had two surgeries on his left foot since then.
Marin Cilic of Croatia overwhelmed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 6-2. Tsonga, 36, announced last week he will retire after the French Open, hoping to put the final touches on an injury-plagued career in front of his home crowd.
A crowd of Tsonga’s loyal fans cheered him on but he was no match for the No. 22-ranked Cilic.
Other winners were United States Sebastian Korda, Fabio Fognini and Jannik Sinner of Italy, Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain and Hubert Kurkacz of Poland. (AP)
