Stanislas Wawrinka struggles into third round

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland returns to Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny in Toronto, Canada, on Tuesday. Wawrinka won 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/8).(Photo: AFP)

Stanislas Wawrinka had to pass a stern test lasting two hours before emerging with a 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/8) victory over Mikhail Youzhny for a third-round berth at the Toronto Masters.

The second-seeded two-time Grand Slam champion was joined in the third round on Tuesday by fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych, who dispatched Croatian Borna Coric 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the only other second-round match of the day.

Berdych was caught on the back foot in his opening set against Coric, with the Croatian losing a mere four points on serve.

But Berdych found his game in the second set, winning five straight games to squeeze into a deciding third set where he prevailed.

In first-round action, Gael Monfils followed up his first tournament title in more than two years by barrelling through to victory. The flamboyant Frenchman, seeded 10th and fresh off his triumph in Washington, defeated Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-3. French 13th seed Lucas Pouille beat Emilio Gomez of Ecuador 6-7 (8/10), 6-4, 7-5.