Stan Wawrinka’s journey at the Italian Open has come to an end.
The Swiss legend did not receive a wildcard for the main draw at this year’s event, meaning he was forced to play in the qualifying rounds.
On Monday, the Swiss maestro performed superbly to defeat Italy’s Stefano Travaglia 4-6, 7-6, 6-1.
Do you think Stan Wawrinka deserves a wildcard for Roland Garros this year?
However, Wawrinka has now been forced to retire from the event – handing Pablo Carreno Busta a spot in the Italian Open main draw.
Consequently, Wawrinka has played his last main-draw match at the Italian Open.
The Italian Open should have given Stan Wawrinka a wildcard
The Italian Open has missed an opportunity by not offering Stan Wawrinka a wildcard for their event.
Wawrinka is a three-time Grand Slam champion and a former finalist at the event; a player who should have been afforded the opportunity to compete in the Italian Open main draw for one final time.
In reality, two mistakes have been made by Italian Open organisers when it comes to Stan Wawrinka’s participation in the event.
First, a player of his stature should have been offered a wildcard.
The Swiss star is playing in his last year on the ATP Tour, and those with main draw tickets have missed out on the opportunity to see the tennis legend play for one final time in the Italian capital.
Second, relying on Wawrinka to qualify for the main draw represents another mistake by the tournament.
Wawrinka remains a fantastic player and an individual who could compete at the top level for a few more years.
Stan Wawrinka or Andy Murray… who is the greater player? Let us know why below 👇
However, he is not the player he once was, and there was always the chance that Wawrinka would be unable to advance to the main draw in Rome.
Simply put – the fans are the biggest losers in this situation, which is a shame to say the least.
Stan Wawrinka’s Italian Open final
In 2008, unseeded Stan Wawrinka defeated Marat Safin, Andy Murray, Juan Carlos Ferrero, James Blake and Andy Roddick on his way to the Italian Open final.
Wawrinka, who was playing in his first Masters 1000 final, was defeated by Novak Djokovic in the final, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6.
There was a silver lining for Wawrinka, who made his top-10 debut following his performance in the Italian capital.
“I was starting very well,” Wawrinka told reporters after the match. “The first set I was playing very well the first set. I was always before him; I was pushing him.
“But I think it change his game and he was coming more in at the net. In the second and the third set he was serving very well, too.
He later added: “Yeah, I of course a little bit disappoint because I lost today, but I lost against a very good player, the number three in the world.
“I didn’t play a bad match. Of course, I can do a little better, so that’s why I’m a little disappointed.”
