Monte-Carlo Masters: Former champion Wawrinka reaches second round, faces Fritz next

Swiss wildcard Stan Wawrinka advanced to the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters by edging out Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 at Monte-Carlo Country Club on Monday.

“At present, any victory is important,” he said to a press conference afterwards. “It’s been a while now that I feel better, that I can finish the match, and I have no problem, so I’m very happy of what is happening during the matches. I feel good in practice too. I am able to play practice weeks very hard. So really, I want to add up as many victories as I can.”

Wawrinka, ranked No 88, will face No 8 seed Taylor Fritz next.

“It’s going to be a tough match. He’s a top-10 player. He’s of the younger generation. He won many matches during the past two years. He improved a lot. He’s dangerous on any surface.

“Even if he didn’t grow up on clay, he’s very dangerous on this surface. And here the conditions are quite fast and the balls are fast, so it’s going to be a good challenge, and I hope I will be able to play my game.”

Monte-Carlo is the site of Wawrinka’s only Masters 1000 title on the ATP tour.

Monte-Carlo Masters, other first-round results (Monte-Carlo Country Club, clay, EUR 5.779.335, most recent results first):

• Jiri Lehecka vs. Emil Ruusuvuori
• Ben Shelton vs. Grigor Dimitrov
• Alejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. Karen Khachanov
• Daniel Evans vs. Ilya Ivashka
• Alexander Bublik vs. Alexander Zverev
• Ugo Humbert vs. Lorenzo Sonego
• Miomir Kecmanovic vs. Lorenzo Musetti
• Valentin Vacherot vs. Luca Nardi
• Richard Gasquet vs. Dominic Thiem
• Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Filip Krajinovic
• Alex De Minaur vs. Andy Murray
• Maxime Cressy vs. Matteo Berrettini
• Diego Schwartzman vs. David Goffin
• Ivan Gakhov vs. Mackenzie McDonald
• Jan-Lennard Struff vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas: monday
• Dusan Lajovic vs. Alexei Popyrin: monday
• Sebastian Baez vs. Jack Draper: monday
• Benjamin Bonzi beat Bernabe Zapata Miralles: 6-1, 7-5
• Botic van de Zandschulp vs. Marton Fucsovics: monday
• Francisco Cerundolo beat Cameron Norrie (11): 6-3, 6-4
• Hubert Hurkacz (10) beat Laslo Djere: 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5)
• Jaume Munar beat Marc-Andrea Huesler: 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4
• Nicolas Jarry beat Borna Coric (15): 6-2, 6-3