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Emil Ruusuvuori said he has a great level of respect for Stan Wawrinka and added it was a dream come true to play and beat the three-time Grand Slam champion. On Monday, Ruusuvuori overcame Wawrinka in three sets 6-3 3-6 6-3 to progress into the Montreal second round.
It was the first meeting between the two. Wawrinka, who returned from a foot surgery in March, is now 37 but Ruusuvuori is hoping to see him for at least some more time on the Tour. “I grew up watching Stan and have huge respect for this guy,” Ruusuvuori said after the match, per the ATP website.
“He is still such a tough competitor and he has inspired so many people, so I hope he can continue and bring this level. I really enjoyed this match and it was a dream come true”.
Ruusuvuori plays Hubert Hurkacz next
After beating a former top-10 player in his Montreal opener, Ruusuvuori plays next a current top-10 player - Hurkacz.
Hurkacz, the eighth seeded player in the Montreal main draw, had a first round bye at the tournament. Ruusuvuori and Hurkacz will be going head-to-head for the second time when they meet in the Montreal second round. Interestingly, the two met for the first time last week in Washington.
In their first-ever meeting, Ruusuvuori claimed a surprise 6-4 7-6 (3) win. Ruusuvuori expects Hurkacz to be extremely motivated to get a revenge following the Washington loss. “It was a good match for me last week and not the best from him.
I am sure he is going to come h*t and he is going to study," Ruusuvuori said of facing Hurkacz. "He is a Top 10-level player and I will need to bring my absolute best to beat him”. Hurkacz hasn't been really playing well in recent weeks as is currently on a two-match losing streak, having lost his openers at Wimbledon and Washington. It remains to be seen if Ruusuvuori can clinch back-to-back surprise wins over Hurkacz.