• The 37-year-old begins Italian Open campaign with victory over Reilly Opelka

Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka insisted he still has “fire” in him after picking up his first victory in over a year with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over American Reilly Opelka in the first round of the Italian Open yesterday.
The 37-year-old, who has tumbled from his best ranking of number three in the world to 361st, last tasted success in the opening round of the 2021 Australian Open when he beat Marton Fucsovics in five sets.
This year he had previously lost in the opening rounds in the only two tournaments he had entered, in Marbella then Monte Carlo, after struggling with a long-term foot injury that has dogged him since 2019.
“After two surgeries, at my age I could easily stop playing... but I still have this fire in me,” said Wawrinka.
“I still believe that I can play great tennis. I still believe that I make some big results, maybe not now, but in a few months.”
The crowd cheered warmly as the three-time Grand Slam winner completed victory over the world number 17 Opelka, a semi-finalist here last year, in just over two hours.
“It feels great because so much time I was away from tennis,” he said.
“I was completely outside of the tour. I did a lot of hard work to come back, so it feels great to finally win a match, to see that things are getting better.
“I still need few more months to feel really where I want to be. I still have a lot of hard work to do, to play better, to have that time on the court, in the gym and all.”
“Physically I was feeling great. For sure when you don’t win a match in more than a year, you start to think always about it more than what you should and not focus on the right things,” said Wawrinka.
“I stayed positive. I started to feel much better with my tennis by the end of the second set, and the third set. I’m really happy with this victory.”

Zverev says ATP needs to allow him some early nights
Alexander Zverev said he had no chance in the Madrid Open final on Sunday because of the way the tournament had been organised.
Zverev succumbed in 62 minutes to Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz but was unhappy that on the previous two nights he had been last on court.
On Friday the German finished his quarter-final after midnight, and on Saturday, he won after 1:00am am Madrid time.
“The ATP’s job was an absolute disgrace this week,” the world No 3 said in a press conference.
“Two days ago I went to bed at 4:00, 4:30am. Yesterday I went to bed at 5:20am.
“You know, if any normal person goes to bed one night at 4:00am, the next night at 5:00am, it will be a tough time just to be awake for them.
“Even if I’m fresh, probably I would not beat Carlos, but definitely (it) would be a better match,” he said.
Zverev said it was “upsetting” because in Acapulco in February he had also to play until 5:00 am.
“I’m also human. I’m not a robot. I can’t.
“I simply cannot be on my level when this is happening every night.”
He reiterated his post-match comments that Alcaraz was the “best player in the world right now”.
“I don’t take anything away from Carlos,” he said.
“At the end of the day, if you are playing the best players in the world, you have to be at your top. Otherwise you will have no chance. Today I had no chance.”