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Top-seeded Stan Wawrinka warmed up for the French Open by retaining his Geneva Open title on Saturday with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Mischa Zverev in the final at Geneva, Switzerland. Wawrinka, from nearby Lausanne, Switzerland, finished off the 16th title of his career and first in 2017 by breaking serve with a fierce forehand crosscourt pass to beat left-hander Zverev's advance to the net.
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"I would have hated you if you had beaten me in two tournaments," Wawrinka joked afterward with Zverev, who beat him when they last met in October at Basel, Switzerland.
The 2015 French Open champion is the No. 3 seed at Roland Garros, and opens with 152nd-ranked Josef Kovalik of Slovakia.
Zverev, who came through qualifying, still is seeking his first career title at age 29. The Russia-born German's second runner-up finish comes more than six years after his first, at Metz, France.
"It was a great week for me here in Geneva," Zverev said. "Playing on clay is usually not easy for me, but I really felt great here playing six matches this week and reaching my first semifinal and final on this surface.
"Congratulations to Stan for a good week and a great match today."
Zverev came out strong and broke serve for a 3-2 lead on his way to winning the first set in 47 minutes, but Wawrinka took control while jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the second set and never let up the rest of the way.
