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Headline: Veteran Wawrinka Kicks Off Farewell Tour with Grit and Victory in Perth

Perth, Australia – Stan Wawrinka, the 40-year-old Swiss tennis legend, proved age is just a number as he battled his way to a hard-fought victory against France’s Arthur Rinderknech (ranked No. 29) in his opening singles match at the United Cup in Perth on Saturday. Wawrinka, currently ranked No. 157, triumphed 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) in a grueling contest that lasted 3 hours and 16 minutes.

The victory marks the beginning of Wawrinka’s farewell tour, announced in December, as the three-time Grand Slam champion prepares to retire from the ATP Tour at the end of the year.

“I’m happy with the decision [to retire] and feeling at peace with that,” Wawrinka stated before the match, expressing his contentment with his impending retirement. He also revealed a desire to climb back into the top 100 rankings before hanging up his racket, a feat he achieved previously, reaching as high as No. 3 in the world after his Australian Open win in 2014.

The United Cup is one of several tournaments being held in Australia leading up to the Australian Open, commencing in Melbourne on January 18th.

Wawrinka’s win contributed to a dominant start for Switzerland in the United Cup tie against France. Teammate Belinda Bencic secured the first point with a decisive 6-2, 6-4 victory over Leolia Jeanjean, ultimately giving the Swiss team an unassailable 2-0 lead. This impressive showing sets the stage for a potentially successful final year on tour for the veteran champion.

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