Van Assche Beats Wawrinka In Banja Luka, Sets Djokovic Meeting

#NextGenATP Frenchman Luca Van Assche picked up his first Top 100 win on Monday at the Srpska Open in Banja Luka, coming back from a set down and recovering a break deficit in the final set to defeat Stan Wawrinka at the ATP 250.

The 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 result gave Van Assche his second tour-level win and sets up a second-round showdown with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

“I’m very happy with my win. It was a pleasure to play in front of you all,” said the 18-year-old, who won the crowd over with his smooth game over the course of the two hour, 42 minute match. “It’s normal that at the beginning [the fans] were for Stan because he’s an amazing legend of the sport and I’m very happy to win this match.”

The Frenchman saved eight of 11 break points, including four at 5-5 in the second set, to set himself up for the biggest victory of his career. In the final set, he won four straight games after falling a break behind at 1-3, absorbing the heavy baseline blows of Wawrinka to turn the match around.

Van Assche made his ATP Tour debut last year in Antwerp before picking up his first tour-level win earlier this month in Estoril. After entering this week at a career high of World No. 87, he moved up four further places in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings to No. 83 with his Monday win.

After discussing his opening triumph, Van Assche looked ahead to his first meeting with Djokovic: “It will be incredible for me and I’m only 18,” he said. “I know that the crowd will not be with me, I think, but I will enjoy it and I will try to win.”

Also on Monday in Banja Luka, Alexei Popyrin upset fifth seed Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(4), 7-6(4) in a match that did not feature a break of serve. Popyrin erased all three break points against him while Griekspoor fought off seven. The Aussie dominated on first serve, winning 89 per cent (39/44) of points behind his first delivery in the victory.

His next opponent will be Alex Molcan, who advanced with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 win against Japan’s Taro Daniel. The Slovakian was an efficient six-for-eight on break points in his first action since a hip injury forced his withdrawal in Miami ahead of a third-round meeting with eventual champion Daniil Medvedev.

In the day’s final singles match, Dusan Lajovic led Filip Krajinovic 6-2, 4-6, 2-0 in an all-Serbian affair that was suspended due to rain. They will resume on Tuesday as they bid to reach the second round in Novak Djokovic’s quarter.