LONDON, (Reuters) – Stan Wawrinka’s Wimble-don hopes were shredded in a blitz of heavy artillery fire as Russian Daniil Medvedev, making his Wimbledon debut, ousted the fifth seed in the first round with a stunning display of power hitting on Monday.
Three times grand slam champion Wawrinka was thoroughly out-gunned by 21-year-old Medvedev, who had the Centre Court crowd on their feet as he pulled off a dazzling array of winners to wrap up a 6-4 3-6 6-4 6-1 victory.
The Russian, who was making only his third grand slam appearance and is ranked 46 places below the world number three, was full of energy as he hauled his giant frame around the court while the Swiss seemed bothered by a niggling knee injury.
Wawrinka had earlier looked unruffled as he held his opening two service games, dropping just two points, but it was not long before Medvedev found his range and started to put the Swiss under pressure.
He broke to love in the fifth game of the first set, and crafted two more break points in the seventh as the 32-year-old Wawrinka reeled under a barrage of heavy hitting.
The Swiss briefly sparked into life at the start of the second, levelling the match after breaking for a 2-0 lead and then breaking for a second time in the eighth game after Medvedev had clawed his way back on serve.
They went toe-to-toe in the third set before Wawrinka sent a forehand wide in the 10th game to give the Russian a set point, which he gobbled up to edge back in front.
There was to be no way back for Wawrinka, who was then completely outgunned as Medvedev raced clear in the fourth set, breaking twice to go 5-1 ahead.
He fired down his 10th ace to bring up match point and wrapped up the two hour and 12 minutes encounter when Wawrinka sent a forehand long.
