Stan Wawrinka opened his 2017 ATP World Tour season on Wednesday night by beating World No. 29 Viktor Troicki 7-6(5), 6-4 in 90 minutes at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp. Wawrinka is now 7-0 lifetime against Troicki in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.
“I'm quite happy with my level at the start the year,” said Wawrinka. “I think it was a good match, in general, for sure. A few up-and-down with focus and my [shot] choice during the game, but it's always tough to play against Troicki.
“I'm just enjoying a new tournament that I’ve never played. [A] new facility, new court, new fans, new city, and that's what makes the difference. Especially at 31 years old, when you've been on the tour for so long, to play some new tournaments. It makes you a little bit fresher mentally, also.”
Troicki broke for a 3-2 lead and served for the first set at 5-4, before Wawrinka seized control of the match. At 3-3, Troicki recovered from 15/40 but was broken in the next service game. Troicki’s lone win over a player in the Top 4 of the Emirates ATP Rankings came over No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic at 2007 Umag.
Wawrinka, who is making his debut at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament, will next face Kyle Edmund in the quarter-finals on Friday. Last year, Wawrinka lifted four titles and went 46-18 on the season.
“He's a great player, having arrived in the Top 50 last year for the first time,” said Wawrinka. “I played him in Shanghai. He's a tough player. He's improving, going up. It's going to be an interesting match to play him.”
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