Stan Wawrinka will kick off his 2016 campaign against Andrey Rublev during second-round action in Chennai on Wednesday. Borna Coric and Austin Krajicek are also taking the court.
(1) Stan Wawrinka vs. (WC) Andrey Rublev
Wawrinka is coming off an outstanding season as he heads into his first match of 2016 at the Aircel Chennai Open on Wednesday. The fourth-ranked Swiss famously upset Novak Djokovic to lift the French Open trophy and he also reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and the U.S. Open and the quarters at Wimbledon. Wawrinka is the two-time defending champion of this event, has won it three times in total, and is 19-4 overall.
Rublev is making the most of his wild card after scraping past India’s own Somdev Devvarman 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 on Tuesday. The 18-year-old Russian registers at an impressive ranking of No. 185 in the world thanks to consistent play throughout what was really his first season on tour. But the second round of ATP tournaments has been a roadblock for Rublev. He went 0-6 in such matches last year. There is no reason to think that this opponent at this particular event will be the recipe for ending the trend.
Pick: Wawrinka in 2
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(8) Borna Coric vs. Austin Krajicek
Coric and Krajicek will also be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers on Wednesday after surviving their respective openers in three sets. For Krajicek, this is a chance to guarantee his place back inside the top 100. The 25-year-old American peaked at 94th in the rankings last season and currently sits at No. 104. Krajicek earned his ninth career ATP-level victory by outlasting countryman Rajeev Ram 6-7(0), 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday.
Playing both singles and doubles in Chennai, Coric lost with Aliaksandr Bury to Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Santiago Gonzalez on Tuesday, but he is obviously still alive in his preferred discipline. Although the 19-year-old Croat will be unseeded for the Australian Open even if he wins this title, he will undoubtedly be one of the most dangerous floaters at the season’s first Grand Slam. Ranked 44th in the world, Coric held off Marcel Granollers 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-4 on Monday. Krajicek will not have much rest heading into this one and the discrepancy in natural talent level may be too much to overcome.
Pick: Coric in 2
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who ya got?
Stan in two and I’m going bold and taking krajicek in three.
wowzer
Rublev has weapons and will try to pull some gamesmanship of some sort against Stan, but in the end he will be put in his place
Stan and Benoit playing in the semis