Stan Wawrinka is Chennai's Raja. The Swiss maestro won a hat-trick of Aircel ATP Chennai Open tennis titles by dismantling Croat teenager Borna Coric 6-3 7-5 in an hour and 26 minutes in the final
Stanislas Wawrinka celebrates after defeating Borna Coric in the ATP Chennai Open final yesterday
Chennai: Stan Wawrinka is Chennai's Raja. The Swiss maestro won a hat-trick of Aircel ATP Chennai Open tennis titles by dismantling Croat teenager Borna Coric 6-3 7-5 in an hour and 26 minutes in the final at the Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium here yesterday.
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Stanislas Wawrinka celebrates after defeating Borna Coric in the ATP Chennai Open final yesterday. Pic/PTI
Nineteen-year-old Coric, who was playing his first ATP tour singles final, made a fist of it in the second after a rampaging the World No. 4 and top seed ran through the first set. The World No 44 has a sledgehammer of a forehand but his best stroke was also his downfall as he committed a number of unforced errors. Coric often did all the hard work but missed the easiest shots at the end of rallies.
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Wawrinka, who has the best single hander backhand in business, was exemplary with the stroke in the final as he hit beautiful cross court and down the line winners. Not many people talk about the Swiss' forehand, but yesterday it was on song as he whipped cross court and down the line passing shots.
Wawrinka does not have a classical service motion but his serve was extremely effective in the title clash. Coric found it difficult to read the serve as the Swiss struck aces down the T and on the ad court as he racked up 15 aces.
Borna Coric
Coric who generally volleys extremely well found the pace of Wawrinka's shots too hot to handle as he netted a couple of volleys when he ventured to the net. The Lausanne native's lone blemish was when a racquet string broke and he took more than the permissible 15 seconds between points and when he went to get a new racquet he was given a warning.
"I changed my strings and I said something so everyone could tell what was happening," said an exasperated Wawrinka. The Swiss on his eight visit to the Tamil Nadu Capital has so far won four singles titles (2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016) and one doubles title with Frenchman Benoit Paire in 2013.
Marach-Martin win
Marach-Martin win doubles crown No 3 seeds Oliver Marach (Austria) and Fabrice Martin (France) downed Austin Krajicek (USA) and Benoit Paire (France) 6-3 7-5 to bag the men's doubles crown.