Augustin Gensse: Love the name, love some parts of his game. Playing in his first main-draw match at a Grand Slam tournament, the 27-year-old Frenchman hit huge, roundhouse forehands and very effective slice backhands throughout his time with Stanislas Wawrinka, and even took the first set. And although he would fall in four sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, Gensse acquitted himself admirably in what was perhaps the greatest moment of his pro career.
As this match wore on, Wawrinka, who can hit through slow clay with ease, eventually imposed himself with superior shots. The same can be said about the rallies—the longer they went, the more likely the point would go Wawrinka's way. Eventually, he would get a good look. It was often on his backhand side, and the Swiss gleefully whacked his stinging one-handed backhand, much like in Melbourne (I'm recalling his eye-opening win over Andy Roddick, not his meek loss to Roger Federer, of course). Does Wawrinka have the best one-hander in tennis? Right now, I'm inclined to say yes. It's a point-ender and he's very accurate with it, seemingly placing it in the corners at will.
Leading in the fourth set by two breaks, Wawrinka displayed the difference between a journeyman No. 178 and an established No. 15 (14th-seeded). Gensse hit what was possibly his biggest forehand of the match from well behind the baseline to return a Stan second serve. Calmly—about as calm as the sound of Wawrinka's subsequent shot when it landed—Wawrinka replied with a perfect drop shot, also struck from behind the service line. Wawrinka's best negated Gensse's best, and it wasn't even close. But it's not as if the two have nothing anything in common. They're both in their mid-20s, speak French and are currently playing their best tennis. I found it fitting that both greeted each other at net shortly after, chatting amiably for a good 15 or 20 seconds.
—Ed McGrogan