Stan Wawrinka showcased his impressive form in the opening round of the ATP tournament in Dubai, advancing to the round of 16 with a straight-set victory over Lebanese player Benjamin Hassan. The 40-year-old Swiss tennis star, currently ranked 99th in the world, secured the win with scores of 7:5, 6:3.
Competing in front of tennis legend Roger Federer, Wawrinka demonstrated solid control throughout the match. He broke Hassan’s serve once in each set—at 7:5 and 3:1—and proved to be highly efficient with his break point conversions, capitalizing on two out of three chances. Wawrinka also defended successfully against all three of Hassan’s break points. After a competitive 73 minutes of play, he sealed the match with his first match point.
This encounter marked the first meeting between Wawrinka and Hassan, with both players receiving wild card entries into the tournament. Notably, Wawrinka’s victory against Hassan is part of a strong pattern, as it represents his 15th win in the past 16 matches against opponents ranked outside the top 200.
In the upcoming round of 16, Wawrinka will face either Daniil Medvedev, the Russian third seed and currently ranked 11th, or Chinese player Shang Juncheng, who is ranked 262nd. Wawrinka’s previous triumph in Dubai back in 2016 adds to the anticipation for his next match, as the veteran continues to prove his competitiveness at this stage of his career.