Rune defeated Wawrinka in a thrilling encounter in the opening round of the Masters 100 event. The teenager outlasted the three-time Grand Slam winner after saving three match points against him in the deciding set to prevail 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(3).
The Swiss veteran, however, exchanged some words with the youngster at the net after the tough loss. It is understood that Wawrinka asked the 19-year-old to keep his on-court behavior in check.
Tennis fans were unhappy with the former World No. 3 for the unkind advice just moments after the unwavering victory by Holger Rune. Many also voiced that if it had been Novak Djokovic in Wawrinka’s place, he would have received tougher criticism for such unwarranted behavior.
Another fan claimed Djokovic would never give such advice to start with, and suggested that Wawrinka take his losses in stride.
Many other fans were of a similar opinion.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
Stan Wawrinka crashes out, Holger Rune and Novak Djokovic progress at Paris Masters
Holger Rune’s victory over Stan Wawrinka has put an end to the Swiss’ 2022 season. He is likely to finish just inside the top-150 in a year of disappointing results.
Rune, meanwhile, will be seen battling it out against Hubert Hurkacz in the Round of 32 on Wednesday. The Dane has obtained outstanding results in recent weeks, with three back-to-back finals, including a title at the Stockholm Open and two runner-up finishes at the Sofia Open and the Swiss Indoors Basel. The 19-year-old also reached a career-high ranking of World No. 18 on October 31.
Six-time Paris Masters champion Novak Djokovic, who received a bye in the Round of 64, successfully defeated Maxime Cressy in his opening match and will face Karen Khachanov in the Round of 32. Interestingly, the pair clashed in the final of the Paris Masters in 2018, where Khachanov managed to stun the Serb to clinch his maiden Masters 1000 title.
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