Stan Wawrinka during the Wimbledon second round match against Martin Etcheverry of Argentina. EPA
Stan Wawrinka during the Wimbledon second round match against Martin Etcheverry of Argentina. EPA
Stan Wawrinka during the Wimbledon second round match against Martin Etcheverry of Argentina. EPA
Stan Wawrinka during the Wimbledon second round match against Martin Etcheverry of Argentina. EPA

Wawrinka proves his mettle to set up Djokovic clash at Wimbledon


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Stan Wawrinka rolled back the years as the 38-year-old Swiss knocked out seeded Argentine Tomas Etcheverry on Thursday to reach the third round at Wimbledon.

Wawrinka, in the twilight of his career, proved too good for a player 15 years his junior as he claimed a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory on a sunny Court Three.

It was the first time Wawrinka has reached the third round of a Grand Slam for three years and his reward is a box-office duel with defending champion Novak Djokovic.

The 88th-ranked Wawrinka, who has extended his career despite issues with his knees, had lost in the first or second round of his last six Grand Slam tournaments.

"It's a long time that I didn't win too much at Grand Slams," Wawrinka said.

"I've been working hard to get back to a better level and I'm happy with the way I'm coming up."

However, Wawrinka was realistic about his chances in the tournament.

"There's zero opportunity to win Wimbledon for me, I think," he said. "I'm happy to have won today again. I think it was a great match. I'm playing better each match and I think it's an honour to play Novak here.

"I was missing that on my career to play him in the grand slam in Wimbledon. It's going to be a difficult challenge. Hopefully I can make a competitive match, but, if you will look at recent results, I don't really stand a chance."

Meanwhile, Liam Broady outlasted world No 4 Casper Ruud in five sets for a career-best win that sent him through to the third round at Wimbledon.

Broady had to dig deep to fight back from two sets to one down but - carried by a buoyant Centre Court crowd - he clinched an excellent 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory in three hours and 27 minutes.

Ruud had made the finals of Roland Garros and the US Open during the past 12 months and yet had no answers to Broady's mixture of flamboyance and grit, with this win sending the world No 142 through to the third round for a second year in a row.

Also, Germany's Alexander Zverev fired 20 aces past Dutch qualifier Gijs Brouwer to move into the second round with a hard-earned 6-4, 7-6,(4), 7-6 (5) win.

In the women's section, former Wimbledon semi-finalist Elina Svitolina continued her excellent run in Grand Slams following her maternity break as the Ukrainian wildcard downed 28th seed Elise Mertens 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 to move into the third round.

Svitolina, who returned to the tour in April following the birth of her daughter in October 2022, reached the French Open quarter-finals last month and proved too good for five-times champion Venus Williams in her Wimbledon opener.

"I enjoy so much being on the court, getting this chance to play in front of an amazing crowd in such an amazing event," Svitolina said.

"I'll try to accept what's coming my way though sometimes there can be tough days. I know my family is there supporting me and enjoying every single moment I get to play in such an amazing event."

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Queens of the Stone Age
Matador

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Scores

Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool
Arsenal 1-0 Huddersfield Town
Burnley 1-0 Brighton
Manchester United 4-1 Fulham
West Ham 3-2 Crystal Palace

Saturday fixtures:
Chelsea v Manchester City, 9.30pm (UAE)
Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur, 11.45pm (UAE)

The specs

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm

Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: L/100km

Price: Dh306,495

On sale: now

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

Scoreline

Ireland 16 (Tries: Stockdale Cons: Sexton Pens: Sexton 3)

New Zealand 9 (Pens: Barrett 2 Drop Goal: Barrett)

The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe

Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads

Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike

They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users

Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance

They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians

Updated: July 06, 2023, 4:40 PM