METZ/STARNBERG, September 22, 2022
Stan Wawrinka stunned top seed Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-3 on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Moselle Open in Metz. The 37-year-old Swiss, who battled through the qualifying of the ATP 250 indoor hard-court tournament in northeastern France, recorded his first Top 10 win since the 2020 Rolex Paris Masters against Andrey Rublev.
Wawrinka withstood nine aces broke the Russian’s serve four times to prevail after two hours and 20 minutes.
Stan The Man! 🇨🇭@stanwawrinka takes out Medvedev 6-4 6-7 6-3 in an epic encounter in Metz@MoselleOpen pic.twitter.com/SS5UCJpVcB
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 22, 2022
“At the end of the tie-break I was a little bit frustrated, as I started to hesitate on my shots,” Wawrinka said in his post match on-court interview. “Daniil is one of the best defensive players. If you don’t go completely to the ball without thinking too much, it’s difficult. I made a few mistakes but in general it was a super good level. I am super happy with the win.”
An incident happened in the third game of the final set when Medvedev angrily mocked the French crowd for booing after he had smashed his racket. The commentators on Tennis TV said: “It’s simmering here. He (Medvedev) really has to be careful. I think afterwards there will be things said about that and perhaps done about that.”
Medvedev proceeds to make fun of the French crowd – by calling them monkeys (?) – after they boo him for throwing his racket…
If there’s one thing you don’t do towards a French crowd, it’s provoke them… pic.twitter.com/ZbrfchbbKF
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) September 22, 2022
Hurkacz beats Thiem
Earlier in the day, Hubert Hurkacz started his title defence with a solid 6-3, 6-4 second-round win over 2016 Moselle Open runner-up Dominic Thiem of Austria. The No. 2 seed from Poland, who is enjoying his 23rd week inside the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings, fired 12 aces and won 82 per cent of his first-service points to succeed in one hour and 15 minutes.
The defending champion gets away and moves to the quarterfinals 🔝@HubertHurkacz @domithiem pic.twitter.com/UAt78bzyQO
— Moselle Open (@MoselleOpen) September 22, 2022
Up next for Hurkacz will be Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who edged past fifth favourite Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 7-6(11), 6-3 in one hour and 34 minutes.
In other action, Lorenzo Sonego of Italy beat local wild card entry and three-time champion Gilles Simon 7-6(2), 6-4 in his final Metz appearance in two hours and eight minutes to face US-American Sebastian Korda in the stage of the last eight. No. 7 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan rallied from a set down to outlast Emil Ruusuvuori from Finland 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3. The encounter lasted two hours and 13 minutes.
