After fighting through a 45-minute first set the 33-year-old Wawrinka needed just 26 more minutes to salt away the first-round victory as the moody Paire had unleashed a trademark racquet smash after dropping the opening set. The frustrated 58th-ranked Frenchman made little effort in the second set, phoning it in with apparent disinterest as Wawrinka took complete charge. Breaking four times on his way into the second round Wawrinka made a date against either Milos Raonic, who beat him in four tiebreak sets at the Australian Open, or German Philipp Kohlschreiber. "It's tough to play a friend whose game you know so well," Wawrinka said of Paire, "I didn't start well, but I lifted my level and got better and better. "It's tough to play Paire but I was able to regain my focus.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 11, 2019 20:48 UTC