ATP round-up: Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem seek third titles of 2016

Stan Wawrinka beat Lukas Rosol

Reigning French Open champion Stan Wawrinka could not have asked for a better preparation heading into the second Grand Slam of the year. Just days before beginning his title defense, the Swiss defeated the very man he will lock horns with in his Paris opener – Lukas Rosol – to reach the final at home in Geneva on Friday.

It wasn’t a smooth passage for the top seed, though. Wawrinka dropped a set to emerge victorious, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in 1 hour 23 minutes.

But most importantly, he would be relieved to gather some momentum after enduring a tough clay court swing so far. After reaching the quarter-finals at Monte Carlo, the World No. 4 failed to reach the last-eight in both Madrid and Rome.

Seeking his third title of the season, the 30-year-old will face the challenge of the third seed and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in the final. The Croat, who had his clay season hampered by a knee injury, upset the second seed David Ferrer 7-5, 7-5 in the other semi-final.

Nice Open: Next Generation battle between Zverev and Thiem

19-year-old Alexander Zverev’s boundless energy and staunch determination helped him secure another win as he entered the summit clash of the Open de Nice Cote d’Azur on Friday. The eighth-seeded German edged past the fifth-seeded Joao Sousa 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 for his third consecutive three-set victory of the week.

This is Zverev’s maiden final on the ATP Tour.

It certainly won’t get any easier for the youngster in Saturday’s title showdown as he meets the top seed and defending champion Dominic Thiem. The in-form Austrian posted a whopping 35th win of the year when he thrashed Adrian Mannarino 6-1, 6-3.

After their cracking three-set match at Munich won by Thiem, this is a highly-anticipated clash between two of the most talented and fast-rising young guns on the Tour.

Just like Wawrinka, the 22-year-old Austrian too is eyeing his third title of the year.