Reaches last 16 in Paris Masters ; First win for Djokovic after son’s birth
Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, returns the ball to Dominic Thiem of Austria, during their second round match at the ATP World Tour Masters tennis tournament at Bercy stadium in Paris
Paris: World number four Stan Wawrinka snapped a three-match losing streak on Wednesday as he qualified for the last 16 of the Paris Masters with a 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) victory over Dominic Thiem.
The Swiss 29-year-old came through a tight match in 1hr 36min against the Austrian, to book a meeting with big-serving South African Kevin Anderson. Earlier on the third day of the penultimate tournament of the season, Canada’s Milos Raonic kept alive his chances of qualifying for the ATP World Tour Finals with a tough three-set 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7/4) win over American qualifier Jack Sock.
World number one Novak Djokovic celebrated his return to competition since becoming a father last week with a ruthless 6-3, 6-4 second round victory over Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber.
The 27-year-old defending champion showed the flashes of brilliance, that has seen him win seven Grand Slams, on the way to a third round meeting against either American 13th seed John Isner or French crowd-pleaser Gael Monfils.
The Serbian, whose wife Jelena gave birth to a baby boy Stefan on October 21 and is chasing a third title in Paris, secured early breaks in both sets to lay the foundations for his victory.
“It’s incredible to be a father and I dedicate this victory to my wife Jelena and Stefan,” Djokovic said. “I’m very proud to be a father and I’m very proud of my wife for handling the birth in a great way. She’s back home recovering now, with our little boy. This was my first match as a father and it can only inspire me to play my best.”
( Source : AFP )
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