Internazionali BNL d’Italia: Novak Djokovic vs. Stanislas Wawrinka – Preview
Mighty Serbian storm keeps blazing in Rome, Italy, as the world number two, Novak Djokovic, takes on the 14th ranked Swiss, Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Thursday evening.
The highly anticipated contest will be played at the Foro Italico, with the Serb regarded as the hot favourite to win the game.
The reigning world number two is enjoying an outstanding form as he is yet to be beaten this year. Djokovic has won every single matchup he has been in, bagging six ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) championship titles,
including the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open. The Serb is currently on a 33-match winning streak this season, the second best start to the season after the legendary John McEnroe’s 42-0 in 1984. Djokovic continued his ballistic form in
Rome as well, blowing away his second round opponent, Lukasz Kubot of Poland, in straight sets 6-0, 6-3, to make it to the third round of the tournament. The Serb had received a bye into the second round and just one victory puts him in contest with Wawrinka.
The 14th seeded Swiss has been lingering in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia so far, winning both of his initial round matches in the third sets. Wawrinka dispensed out the Italian wildcard, Filippo Volandri, in the second
round 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, to meet the second seed Serb in the next round. Keeping his recent performances in view, it is hard to say that Wawrinka will be able to take down Djokovic in the third round clash.
Wawrinka has met Djokovic in singles matchups on ten occasions, suffering defeat eight times. Djokovic has beaten the Swiss for seven consecutive times now and leads the head-to-head series by 8-2. With the blistering form he is
currently having, it looks quite evident that the Serb will end the third round by improving this figure to 9-2.
23-year-old Djokovic has won every single tournament he has participated this year. Starting with the Australian Open this year, the Serb has bagged ATP titles at Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Belgrade and last week in Madrid. He
ended the 37-match clay-court winning streak of the world number one Rafael Nadal in the final of Mutua Madrid Open last Sunday to clinch his sixth title of the season. Djokovic has defeated Nadal three times in the finals of the ATP tournaments this year
and is reckoned to be absolutely unplayable these days. Although the second seeded Serb is hot favourite to win the contest on Thursday, the potential of Wawrinka is not to be under estimated.
“He has been around for many years, is a great all-round player and likes playing on clay,” said Djokovic about his Swiss opponent, “I played against him in the finals here in 2008 - he likes this court and these conditions. It’s
going to be tough.”
Wawrinka is considered to be the one of the brightest future rising star in the tennis world and he will certainly be eyeing to make big name by breaking the winning streak of Djokovic in the third round at Rome. No matter which
of the two men wins the matchup, one thing is for sure that the contest will be an absolute thriller to watch.
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