Stan Wawrinka stayed perfect on his serve all match long against Steve Johnson to march into the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday. Wawrinka hit 11 aces and erased all five break points faced to beat the American 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 51 minutes.
Wawrinka, with his potent one-hander, sought to go backhand to backhand often against Johnson, who almost exclusively slices his two-handed backhand in hopes a forehand in the near future. The Swiss was successful, blasting 46 winners to Johnson's 29.
“I'm not relieved, but happy with the match of today - happy with my level, my focus,” admitted Wawrinka. “I was moving well, feeling good. It was a little bit windy, but my level is there. I'm happy to get through in three sets.”
Wawrinka, the fourth seed in Melbourne, captured his first Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park three years ago. He'll play in the third round for the ninth consecutive year. The Swiss star will next play 29th seed Viktor Troicki of Serbia, who defeated Italian Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3 in three hours and 52 minutes.
[ALSO LIKE]
Mischa Zverev saved two match points in the fourth set at 4-5, 30/40 and at 6/7 in the tie-break before triumphing 6-7(4), 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(7), 9-7 over No. 19 seed John Isner in four hours and 19 minutes. Isner hit 33 aces to Zverev’s 22 aces.
"At times I didn't even know the score,” said World No. 50 Zverev, who next faces Tunisia's Malek Jaziri. “I think in the fourth [set] I had 0/40 on his serve and I didn't know that. Then saving match point at 4-5 in the fourth, I also didn't know it was match point. I thought it was 3-4. In the fifth set... I didn't know if it was 9-7 or 10-8."
"Trying to return his serve for four hours is really frustrating... I was so happy that tears were coming. That was the moment you train for, you live for as a tennis player."