'I hate clay!' - Stan Wawrinka's ATP return ended in Monte Carlo Masters by Alexander Bublik

Stan Wawrinka’s return to the ATP Tour at the Monte Carlo Masters ended in a battling three-set defeat to Alexander Bubilk, who said he continues to «hate» clay. Wawrinka, 37, was playing for the first time on the tour in 13 months after undergoing two foot surgeries. Ad/> The 2015 French Open champion was hitting the ball crisply to start but faded over the two-hour match as Bubilk came through 3-6 7-5 6-2.

ATP Monte Carlo'Many moments of doubt' — Wawrinka wondered if he would return from injury8 HOURS AGO Despite the result, Bublik was not exactly jumping for joy and said he is already looking forward to the grass season. “The only thing I can say is I wish Stan a good recovery,” he told Amazon Prime. «If he was in shape I wouldn’t be standing here.

I wish the clay will end and we go onto grass! There was no match from my side, I hate clay, that is a statement — I hate this surface! Djokovic's return: What to look out for Alcaraz relishing chance to face Djokovic »I don’t think I turned anything around, he was not very healthy at the end of the second set and third set. It’s a clay court, it’s not for me." Bublik faces 13th seed Pablo Carreno Busta or qualifier Sebastian Baez in the second round. Wawrinka, who competed at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Marbella last week, looked in decent shape in the opening stages of the match as he broke to move 4-2 ahead.

There were trademark backhand winners and neat touches at the net from the three-time Grand Slam champion as he took the set. However, Bubilk raised his game in the second set, particularly on serve as he fired down 10 aces, having not recorded any in the first set. /> Wawrinka held off three break points in the 10th game but Bublik broke at the next attempt to