Chennai Open: Stan Wawrinka completes hat-trick of titles

Chennai: Living up to his top billing, Stan Wawrinka annexed his third Chennai Open singles title in a row, demolishing the challenge of Borna Coric in the final, here on Sunday.

The World number four defending champion strolled to a 6-3, 7-5 win over world number 44 Coric in one hour and 26 minutes.

Wawrinka asserted his supremacy over Coric, winning the third clash against him and extended his Chennai winning streak to 12 matches and 24 sets.

Wawrinka was clearly playing at a different level and the onus to make it a contest was on the young Croat. While the Swiss hardly conceded points on his serve, Coric's serve was under tremendous pressure from the start.

It was evident in the second game of the match when Coric just survived the Wawrinka onslaught. The Swiss hit a deep return, inches before the baseline, which Coric failed to return, his forehand dying at the net. It was deuce.

Wawrinka's backhand was too hot as he opened the court with single-handed shots, landing very wide. Another Coric forehand landed at the net and it was the second deuce.

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The Swiss almost repeated the strategy but could not execute the final shot in the open court and Coric finally managed to hold.

The Swiss was great with his soft drop shots, using those very effectively. Wawrinka broke Coric in the sixth game, hitting a backhand to the body which the Croat failed to return across the court.

Wawrinka made it 5-2 but not before defusing five breakpoints in the nine-minute game, which was the first in which the Swiss was made to work hard for points.

Wawrinka never looked under pressure and wriggled out of the tight situation with his forehand winners and very a powerful serve. To Coric's credit, he made his presence felt on the court.

Coric was now serving to stay in the opening set, which he managed but could not stop the world number four from pocketing the set in the next.

The Croat succeeded in delaying the inevitable with better serve games and did not concede a game till the 11^th game, saving a break chance in the third game, in between.

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In that game, Wawrinka won the battle of picking drop volleys to earn a break point and converted that with his trademark backhand winner.

Wawrinka conceded only three points in the entire second set as he served four games at love, moving leisurely in a park. He served out the match when Coric failed to pick up another superb drop shot by Wawrinka.