Stan Wawrinka emerged victorious in his first-round match of the Italian Open against Ilya Ivashka after a long delay due to heavy rain.
Wawrinka dominated the majority of the game and won easily 6-2, 6-4 for a little more than an hour play. The 38-year old, who is the oldest player in the tournament, hit twice as many winners compared to Ivashka, including one on his first match point to seal the deal.
Oldest player in the draw at 38 up and running in Rome 🏃@stanwawrinka defeats Ivashka 6-2 6-4#IBI23 pic.twitter.com/eznfMWtjCz
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 10, 2023
Wawrinka faces 26th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov in the second round with the winner potentially going against world No.1 Novak Djokovic in the third round.
Djokovic, who skips the first round, will meet Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who overcame 18-year-old Luca Van Assche 7-6 (7), 6-3.
Andy Murray will go against 35-year old Fabio Fognini, who received a wild card.