By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday February 24, 2020
Stan Wawrinka fired 35 aces past Frances Tiafoe in a wild three-set affair that lasted two hours and 44 minutes on Monday at the Abierto Mexicano de Tenis in Acapulco. The Swiss claimed a hard-fought 6-3 6-7(4) 7-6(1) thriller, converting his fifth match point to improve two 2-0 against Tiafoe, and 7-2 on the young season.
In a match that featured plenty of impressive tennis, there were also some loose moments as each player struggled to maintain consistency on a muggy evening in Acapulco.
Wawrinka was close to the finish line in the second set but Tiafoe stood form, saving three break points in the stanza to get to a tiebreaker, where he would end up forcing a decider shortly thereafter.
Wawrinka would pressure Tiafoe late in the third set but he missed badly on his first two match points and ended up failing to convert any of the four match points he earned (one at 4-5, three at 5-6) before the tiebreaker.
But the World No.16 Swiss did not miss in the breaker. He smacked a clean backhand winner to earn a fifth match point at 6-1 in the breaker and converted his fifth opportunity on the next point to reach the second round.
Kecmanovic Stops De Minaur
Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic opened ATP festivities on Monday with a big victory that saw him rally from a set down to knock off Alex de Minaur 3-6 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 59 minutes. The Serb's win books him a possible second-round encounter with Rafael Nadal (who faces Pablo Andujar in first-round action on Tuesday in Acapulco).
Kecmanovic managed to tilt the court in his favor against the speedy Aussie, who was making his first tour-level appearance since the ATP Cup after being forced to miss the Australian Open with an abdominal injury. It was a spirited battle and an impressive win from the World No.50, who saved all eight break points he faced across sets two and three (six in the second and two in the third, 11 of 13 overall).
In other action on Monday in Acapulco, American Tommy Paul defeated Mackenzie McDonald 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 and Adrian Mannarino defeated Cameron Norrie 2-6 6-3 6-3.
American Marcos Giron defeated Mexican wild card Gerardo Lopez Villasenor 6-4 7-6(3), and Kyle Edmund cruised past Felician Lopez in the nightcap, 6-4 6-1.