Wawrinka Overpowers Harrison To Begin Acapulco Title Hunt

The trophy at the season’s first ATP 500 eluded Stan Wawrinka, but the Swiss looks in the mood for more hardware hunting at the Abierto Mexicano del Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco.

Wawrinka, swinging freely from both wings, dismissed American qualifier Ryan Harrison 6-4, 7-6(6) on Monday, overcoming a dip in play midway through the second set to advance in straights at the ATP 500.

The Swiss broke to start both sets, but Harrison leveled the second set in the eighth game by converting his first break-point chance. In the tie-break, the American saved a match point at 5/6, but a mishit forehand gave Wawrinka a second opportunity, which he clinched with his 26^th winner.

The 33-year-old reached the final at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam earlier this month, falling to Frenchman Gael Monfils. It was his first tour-level final since 2017 Roland Garros, when he lost to Rafael Nadal.

He could face the Spaniard in the quarter-finals this week in Mexico. Nadal opens against Germany’s Mischa Zverev on Tuesday evening. Wawrinka will next face seventh seed Steve Johnson, who beat Mexican wild card Gerardo Lopez Villasenor 7-5, 7-5.

Eighth seed John Millman also advanced, breaking Marcel Granollers of Spain four times to win 6-3, 6-4. Millman will meet German Peter Gojowczyk, who ended the run of Mexican qualifier Federico Gaio 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.