Former world No 3 Stan Wawrinka ends career in home match defeat in Basel
Former world number three Stan Wawrinka ended his 24-year professional tennis career on Tuesday with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) defeat to Jiri Lehecka at the ATP 500 Basel Open.
The 41-year-old Swiss announced earlier in the season that his final tournament would be the ATP 500 event in his home country.
Wawrinka, who won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in 2014, followed up with victories over Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to claim three major titles.
Alongside Andy Murray, he was the only player to win multiple Grand Slams during the era dominated by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
I was lucky enough to be able to play alongside them and sometimes beat them.
Home crowd farewell
On court in Basel, every point won and several trademark booming one-handed backhands were greeted by wild cheers from the partisan home crowd.
Lehecka broke serve in the 11th game to win the opening set with an ace before taking firm control of the second set tie-break.
Wawrinka did a lap of the court to thank the crowd before disappearing down the tunnel for the last time.
He won the biggest tournaments, so for me to be here in his moment is a little bit weird.
Lehecka added that it was a pleasure and that he would never forget the match.
Final farewell event
Fans will have one more chance to see the Swiss in action this year at a farewell party in Geneva on December 19.
Wawrinka announced in June that the event, titled "One last backhand," will feature Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
Elsewhere at the tournament, second seed Arthur Fils beat fellow Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to reach the round of 16.
Spanish third seed Rafael Jodar cruised past Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, while top seed Ben Shelton defeated American Aleksandar Kovacevic in a three-set match.
Novak Djokovic, who trained with Wawrinka before the tournament, will open his campaign on Wednesday against Ugo Humbert of France.
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