Wawrinka Beats Djere in Four Sets at Australian Open

Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 Australian Open champion, advanced to the second round on Monday evening by defeating Laslo Djere of Serbia in a hard-fought four-set match at Kia Arena in Melbourne. The 40-year-old Swiss player, competing in his final season before retirement, prevailed 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in three hours and 20 minutes before a crowd of about 5,000 spectators.

Wawrinka, who entered the tournament as a wild card ranked 139th, dropped the opening set but rallied to dominate the next two, relying on his experience and powerful serving to turn the momentum. He fired 14 aces and won 86 percent of his first-serve points, though he struggled with efficiency on break opportunities, converting just three of 18 chances against Djere. The 92nd-ranked Serb saved 14 break points and committed nearly 70 unforced errors, but he could not hold off Wawrinka's pressure in the fourth-set tiebreak, where the veteran sealed the victory with steady play.

The win marked Wawrinka's first main-draw victory at a Grand Slam since 2021 and placed him in rare company. At 40 years and 296 days old, he became only the second man to win a match at the Australian Open after turning 40, behind Ivo...