Stan Wawrinka loses in Naples on his fortieth birthday

Stan Wawrinka turned 40 on Friday whereas competing on the Naples Challenger. The three-time Main champion is at the moment ranked 168th, however he has proven a transparent want to increase his profession and revel in for a couple of extra years.

Stan is barely the second 40-year-old on the ATP rating record, standing behind Ryan Haviland who has collected solely two ATP factors within the earlier 12 months. Wawrinka earned two wins in Naples, ending Borna Coric’s 16-match profitable streak within the second spherical.

Nevertheless, the veteran couldn’t have fun one other win on his birthday, struggling a 6-3, 6-4 loss in an hour and 18 minutes to the highest seed, Luciano Darderi.

— Damian Kust (@damiankust) March 28, 2025

Each gamers struggled to seek out the primary serve, and the Italian drew probably the most from that. Darderi performed towards solely two break factors and gave serve away as soon as. The house participant took 45% of the return factors and turned them into three breaks from six alternatives.

Luciano held at 15 within the first recreation of the duel and moved 2-1 in entrance after the veteran’s free backhand. Stan missed a routine forehand within the fourth recreation and supplied his rival a break probability. Luciano performed rock-solid tennis from the baseline and welcomed one other error from his opponent for a break and a 3-1 lead.

Stan Wawrinka, 2025 Naples Challenger© Stream screenshot

Wawrinka misplaced the rhythm and confronted three break factors within the sixth recreation. The three-time Main champion denied them and held with a robust serve to stay inside one break deficit. Darderi held for 5-2 and served for the opener at 5-3.

The Italian missed a set level and supplied his rival a break probability after a double fault. The highest seed denied it with a forehand down the road winner and transformed the second set level with a artful volley winner on the web for 6-3 in 36 minutes.

Stan Wawrinka, 2025 Naples Challenger© Stream screenshot

They served properly within the opening 4 video games of the second set. Stan sprayed a large forehand error within the fifth recreation and confronted two break factors. The Swiss positioned one other forehand vast, dropping serve and falling 3-2 behind.

Wawrinka cracked a forehand crosscourt winner within the sixth recreation and created a break probability. Luciano missed a drop shot and allowed his rival to tug the break again and lock the consequence at 3-3. Darderi prolonged the seventh recreation and secured a break with a forehand winner.

The Italian cemented it with a drop shot winner in recreation eight, transferring 5-3 in entrance and nearer to the end line. Stan cracked a robust forehand down the road winner within the ninth recreation for a maintain, decreasing the hole to 5-4.

Luciano served for the win in recreation ten and drew Stan’s mistake, holding at 30 and transferring excessive.