Paris: Stan Wawrinka said he had no answers to his listless first round exit at the French Open on Monday, when he was well beaten by Spanish journeyman Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0.
The Australian Open champion, who was tipped as a possible winner in Paris after claiming the Monte Carlo Masters title, struggled throughout in a mistake-strewn performance that saw him produce 61 unforced errors.
“It wasn’t good at all, I kept trying to find my game, anything to get back in it but I just need to take a few days off now and figure out what happened,” said a visibly dejected Wawrinka.
“He’s a really good player but it was me, I couldn’t find solutions and it was just terrible and a really big disappointment.”
Wawrinka has endured a roller-coaster claycourt season, with the high of his Monte Carlo title followed by dispiriting early exits in Madrid and Rome.
On Monday, there was the added pressure of trying to become the first man since American Jim Courier in 1992 to win the French Open in the same year as the Australian title.
“I’m really sad but I can’t change it and I just have to accept it and think about the future,” said Wawrinka.
“The grass court season is coming up and there’s still a lot to think about for the rest of the year but I don’t have the answers right now as to what happened.
“Everything was terrible but that’s what it is.” he added.
Garcia-Lopez laid down the gauntlet from the outset by breaking twice and putting Wawrinka in an early hole by taking the first set in 36 minutes.
The Swiss number one and quarter-finalist last year then had to dig deep to level the match when he broke at 6-5 up in the second despite firing an uncharacteristic 17 unforced errors.
The Spaniard remained unruffled, however, and broke the Wawrinka serve for the fourth time in the opening game of the third set to seize the momentum he never relinquished.
When he wrapped it up 6-2 under fading light on a rain-hit day, the writing was on the wall for the Swiss star.
The 29-year-old was increasingly frustrated and out of sorts as Garcia-Lopez continued to dominate a match he never looked like losing.
Wawrinka, who has a reputation as a great five set player, never got that far as he collapsed 6-0 in the fourth to hand Garcia-Lopez arguably the finest win of his career.
The 30-year-old, who came into the tournament ranked 41 in the world, can now look forward to a second round match against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
