Wawrinka Beats 17-Year-Old Boogaard in Rotterdam

Stan Wawrinka advanced to the second round of the Rotterdam Open on Wednesday with a straight-sets victory over 17-year-old Dutch lucky loser Thijs Boogaard, 6-3, 6-4, in a match that highlighted one of the largest age gaps in ATP Tour history.

The 40-year-old Swiss player, who turns 41 in May, outlasted Boogaard with a display of veteran composure on the indoor hard courts of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament. The 23-year, 100-day difference between Wawrinka and his opponent marked the second-biggest age disparity in an official ATP or Grand Slam match, surpassed only by the 25-year, 11-month gap in a 2011 Vienna Open encounter where 18-year-old Dominic Thiem defeated 44-year-old Thomas Muster. That match served as Muster's final professional outing after a brief comeback from an 11-year retirement.

Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion with titles at the 2014 Australian Open, 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open, converted one break of serve per set to secure the win in just over an hour. Boogaard, born in 2008 and a trainee at the Mouratoglou Academy through the Champseed Foundation, earned his main-draw spot after a strong qualifying run that included saving a match...