Wawrinka powerless: Gaston triumphs in the final at Rennes and claims his 5th Challenger title

First final of the year, first title: Hugo Gaston triumphs in Rennes and claims the fifth trophy of his career. Stan Wawrinka, on the other hand, leaves without a record despite a strong week.

Gaston and Wawrinka had not faced each other since that famous October 2, 2020, when the Frenchman made his mark at Roland-Garros by defeating the Swiss, then still a top 20 player, to reach the second week of the tournament in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Five years later, Wawrinka is still active on the tour despite being 40 years old. Without having dropped a single set this week in Rennes, the Vaud native was in good form against the Frenchman, who was playing his very first Challenger final of the year.

The two players, the tournament’s No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, had comfortably held their ground on the Rennes court.

The final was anticipated but lacked suspense, with Gaston winning in two sets (6-4, 6-4) after 1 hour and 25 minutes of play.

He thus claims his first title of the season and his fifth trophy on the secondary tour. There will be no record for Wawrinka, who could have become the oldest player to win a Challenger title had he been victorious.