PARIS -- It is 17 months since Stan Wawrinka walked into the news conference room at the Australian Open, grimacing in pain after his first attempt at coming back to the Tour after knee surgery.

There were times when he was not sure if he would ever to be able to play at his best level again, the scars of two operations in to his left knee still raw, physically and emotionally.

But at Roland Garros on Sunday, in five hours and nine minutes of epic, brilliant, emotional tennis against No.

The crowd stayed all the match. This kind of atmosphere, for sure, I enjoyed. I enjoy a lot. That's the reason why I still play tennis, and that's the reason why I'm practicing every day to try to win big matches like that.

So for sure, when I'm on the court I try to enjoy and remember also everything I have done to be here.

On a brutally hot day, when temperatures hit 90 degrees fahrenheit and made even watching at courtside uncomfortable, Wawrinka -- seeded 24th -- and Tsitsipas put on an exhibition of ballstriking.

No one hits a backhand like Wawrinka, but with Tsitsipas showing off his own stunning one-hander, it was an aesthetic delight. With his long hair kept in place by a headband, there are strong echoes of Bjorn Borg in Tsitsipas, his strut also reminiscent of the Swede who won the title here six times.

His shirt was covered in clay, the aftereffects of trying to fend of the Wawrinka passing shots. Aggressive throughout, the Greek created chance after chance, only for Wawrinka to close the door, time and time again.

Tsitsipas had a set point in the opener but took just five of his 27 break point chances as Wawrinka shut the door and finally, broke his spirit.

I feel very disappointed at the end. Long time since I cried after a match, so emotionally [it] wasn't easy to handle.

I will try to learn from it as much as I can. Wawrinka floated a sliced backhand that curled into the court and landed on the line.

Tsitsipas, who had left the volley, circled what he thought was the mark but the umpire, down from his chair, ruled it in, a decision accepted by Tsitsipas as Wawrinka stood, arms above his head in sheer joy.

I was just hoping that the umpire would confirm it," he said. It's so tense out there right now. Wawrinka tightens up on the break point and duffs a backhand into the net.

And he takes it! With an absolutely sensational backhand pass on the run! What an unbelievable shot, and what incredible defensive skills to stay in the point.

We're back on serve, in a match that has already lasted longer than Federer's win over Leonardo Mayer earlier. What a way for stanwawrinka to break serve.

B rilliant tennis from both players. T his is great. You really get the feeling these two would absolutely love to beat the other and strike a blow for their generation.

Tsitsipas, who is now covered in clay after that attempt at a dive volley, has just dipped a little in the last few games.

He sends a backhand return long to lose this game to 30, which makes it three games in a row for Wawrinka. And would you believe it, out of nowhere a forehand winner earns Wawrinka his first break point of the match.

Wawrinka has broken back! Having been a point away from trailing , Wawrinka will come out to serve to level the set at W awrinka has looked a little drained of energy in the last 10 minutes or so.

He nets a volley to go down and break point again, but summons some of his famous fighting spirit and fires away a forehand winner for deuce.

A service winner and ace then wrap up the hold. Had he lost that game, the second set would surely have been done.

Meanwhile we know who the winner of this match will face - a certain Roger Federer, who has just sped past Leonardo Mayer , , T sitsipas is screaming 'patience!

The pep talk seems to work, as he motors to a hold to 30 after reeling off the next three points. It's been a very impressive response from the 20 year old to losing that first set.

B ig moment coming up. As he did on the first one, Wawrinka goes for his opponent's backhand and draws a missed return.

Wawrinka lets out another huge cry of "come on! H ow Tsitsipas would love to have that forehand back at set point, but instead he has to reset and try and put the first set behind him.

He holds to love here in what is fast becoming a battle of wills in what are brutal conditions, with blazing sun and the wind picking up. A double fault hands Wawrinka the first set!

He wins the breaker after 53 minutes. W awrinka saves it with a spectacular backhand pass after Tstistipas rushes the net off a not quite good enough forehand approach.

A backhand down the line sets up a drive volley winner to level things again. W awrinka nets another forehand, and it's four points in a row for Tsitsipas.

W awrinka blares a forehand wide, and all of a sudden it's Wawrinka up the mini-break. W awrinka nets a forehand and we're back level.

T sitsipas gets on the board with a brilliant, whipped forehand. T sitsipas pushes a forehand wide to give up the mini-break and screams angrily at himself.

S ervice winner earns Wawrinka the first point of the breaker. T esting moments for Tsitsipas, who finds himself down and with the wind swirling clay all around him as he goes to serve.

Wawrinka is two points from the set. Wawrinka remember won his third-round match , , against Grigor Dimitrov so will be backing himself here.

W awrinka has also been serving brilliantly so far. T sitsipas is having a lot of joy rushing the net, and it helps him to a love hold here.

He's lost just four points on serve so far. T sitsipas has looked a little frazzled by the heat at various points today, and he throws in a loose returning game here with a couple of shots that barely reach the middle part of the net.

A grateful Wawrinka holds breezily to love. And how about his athleticism? T he first set continues to simmer away nicely, with Wawrinka holding to 15 after bullying his opponent into a couple of missed forehands.

We remain on serve. N o let-down for Tsitsipas after missing that break point. After a long, tortuous and patient return from knee surgeries, Wawrinka has his confidence back — and as the champion and runner-up here, Roland-Garros is like a home Grand Slam for the Swiss.

Wawrinka has a long track record of getting stronger and stronger as a tournament plays out. Wawrinka, with his nice and often extensive line of emojis, features tennis - and often patisserie.

Tsitsipas, meanwhile, has a parallel career documenting his travels via vlogs on his YouTube channel , which suggests a youthful hunger for new experiences.

His Twitter feed sees him frequently post philosophical quotes, suggesting he has a healthy perspective on his ambitions in tennis and enjoys learning as he goes along.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that. The pair have never played a competitive match, but Wawrinka revealed he has had a few practice hits with the young Greek.

He has improved a lot. So it's going to be a tough match, a great match, and I am happy to face this challenge.

He always looks like he gives himself a lot of time to play. By Danielle Rossingh 3 Min Read. Tsitsipas says worst feeling ever after loss to Wawrinka.

Reporting by Danielle Rossingh, editing by Ed Osmond.