Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka beat sixth-seeded Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1 3-1 as the latter was forced to retire in the first round of the Swiss Open in Gstaad last Tuesday (July 18) . The match lasted just over an hour, as the 30-year-old Spaniard succumbed to injury after being dominated for the duration of the game.
Wawrinka will face Spaniard Jaume Munar in the second round on Thursday July 20. The 38-year-old Swiss might struggle against his much younger opponent, but he’ll love his chances on his home soil nonetheless. He will also be relatively fresh for the game, as he didn’t have to play long in the first round.
On that note, let’s look at two things that stood out in Wawrinka’s first-round match:
#1. Wawrinka’s forehand ruled the roost:
Wawrinka dominated from the baseline with his clinical forehand for the most part. He hit plenty of forehand winners, as the slower surface gave him enough chance to set up his shots. Carballes Baena was overpowered and beaten by his much older opponent throughout the match.
Wawrinka, meanwhile, rolled back the years with a robust performance that should give him plenty of confidence heading into his next game. He broke Carballes Baena twice in the first set to cross him and mount one in the game.
#2. Carballes Baena’s weak serve has been revealed:
Carballes Baena couldn’t serve well enough in the match and his serve was repeatedly exposed by Wawrinka. The Swiss put a lot of pressure on the Spaniard’s second serve and converted each of the three break points that came his way.
Wawrinka broke Carballes Baena again in the second set, then held his serve at 3-1. That’s when the Spaniard decided to retire. Carballes Baena was only able to win 62% and 27% of the points on his first and second serves, respectively, in the match, which was a very poor performance.
By comparison, Wawrinka won 94% of the points on his first serve and 69% on his second to score a dominant performance. The Swiss isn’t quite the age on his side but could give Munar a run for his money in his next game. At this point in his career, he will definitely want to go further in the tournament.
