Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka turned back the clock on Friday, as the 39-year-old defeated top seed Andrey Rublev to secure a spot in the Stockholm semi-finals. Wawrinka, currently ranked 217th in the world, overcame seventh-ranked Rublev 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5), marking his first victory over a top-10 player this year. The Swiss veteran will now face fourth-seeded American Tommy Paul, the 2021 Stockholm champion, who beat Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6 (9/7), 6-2.
“I can’t change my age, but the most important thing for me is that when I step onto the court, I always give my best effort,” said Wawrinka, the third-oldest semi-finalist in ATP Tour history, after Jimmy Connors and Ivo Karlovic.
“I strive to improve and enjoy the game. The reason I keep going is to play matches like these, with so much support and energy from the fans. I’m thrilled to have another chance to play tomorrow.”
Wawrinka, a former world number three, fired 14 aces and converted his first match point to reach the Stockholm semi-finals for the first time in four attempts.
“The key was staying focused and positive,” said Wawrinka, who had let a 2-0 lead slip in the second set. He is now aiming for his 17th ATP title and his first since Geneva in 2017.
Wawrinka previously won the Australian Open in 2014, the French Open in 2015, and the US Open in 2016.
Rublev’s hopes of qualifying for the eight-player ATP Finals for a fifth consecutive year took a hit, as the 26-year-old Russian, currently in eighth place, still has four players, including Paul, competing this week.
