Chennai Open: Stanislas Wawrinka claims third title in straight sets
Sunday 11 January 2015 14:15, UK
Top-seed Stanislas Wawrinka made it three Chennai Open titles with a 6-3 6-4 win over Aljaz Bedene.
Wawrinka, who was defending champion in India, ended Bedene's giant-killing feats in 69 minutes as he continued to warm up for the defence of his Australian Open title later this month.
The popular Swiss star was beaten in the Chennai final in 2010 and won the event in 2011 and last year, ensuring some vociferous support from a sell-out crowd.
Bedene, who is hopeful of becoming a British citizen as early as next week, had to come through qualifying to even reach the main draw, but he had already seen off second-seed Feliciano Lopez, third-seed Roberto Bautista and fifth-seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez before trying to become the first Slovenian player to win an ATP Tour event.
He started well but was stranded in the sixth game by two huge backhand winners from Wawrinka that helped him seal a break - it was enough to win the first set in just over half-an-hour.
The second set proved similarly tight and was decided by a Bedene mistake, his double fault in the seventh game enough to hand Wawrinka the key break and the $73,400 first prize.
"It's just amazing to win it again, to start the year with a trophy," said Wawrinka, who was beaten by Bedene in Chennai in 2013 before claiming revenge last year.
"It's going to be a strange feeling to come back as the defending champion in a Grand Slam. First I'm going to enjoy a little bit (winning) this trophy. It's not every week that you win a trophy."
Bedene, who should make a decent rise from 156th in the world, added: "Stan played amazing today. It's been a great week. I guess hard work has paid off for me. This is now my favorite tournament for three years and I'll be back here next year."
