Grigor Dimitrov is back on the court two days after knocking off Novak Djokovic in the Madrid second round. Up next for Dimitrov is Stanislas Wawrinka. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Fernando Verdasco are also in action.
Grigor Dimitrov vs. (15) Stanislas Wawrinka
Wawrinka and Dimitrov will going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they collide in the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday. Wawrinka dominated their only previous encounter 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 at the 2011 Australian Open.
More than two years later, however, Dimitrov is a completely different player. The 21-year-old Bulgarian’s breakout 2013 campaign includes a runner-up finish to Andy Murray in Brisbane and a quarterfinal run in Monte-Carlo. Dimitrov’s stellar clay-court form continued on Tuesday with the match of his life. The world No. 28 battled top-ranked Novak Djokovic for three hours and five minutes and prevailed 7-6(6), 6-7(8), 6-3. That win was preceded by a 6-2, 6-4 disposal of Javier Marti. Wawrinka is arguably in even more impressive form. The 15th-ranked Swiss has won at least two matches at five straight tournaments, including a title in Oeiras and a quarterfinal showing in Monte-Carlo. He has maintained his outstanding play this week with straight-set victories over Marius Copil and Santiago Giraldo.
A day off for Dimitrov is key, because it is always difficult to follow up such an emotional win with another strong performance. He will have had enough recovery and he clearly has the talent to take down anyone, but Wawrinka is borderline on fire right now. The No. 15 seed’s consistency and a one-handed backhand that he is striking extremely well right now should see him through this one, but not before a huge struggle.
Pick: Wawrinka in 3
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Fernando Verdasco vs. (7) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Tsonga and Verdasco will be facing each other for the fourth time in their careers on Thursday. Tsonga leads the head-to-head series 2-1 after winning their only previous clay-court encounter 7-6(7), 6-2 last year in Monte-Carlo. Verdasco, though, may finally be heating up. He is one win away from making a much-needed return to the quarterfinals, having to defend his 2012 points if he wants to prevent his ranking free-fall from continuing. The 46th-ranked Spaniard stunned countryman Rafael Nadal 7-5 in the third last year before getting blown out by Tomas Berdych in the last eight. Verdasco had been a dismal 3-8 this season prior to his arrival in Madrid, but he took care of David Goffin in straight sets then outlasted Milos Raonic 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(7) on Tuesday.
Tsonga has been solid but unspectacular this year, owning a 20-6 record that includes a title in Marseille and quarterfinal results at the Australian Open, in Indian Wells, and in Monte-Carlo. The eighth-ranked Frenchman remained in fine form on the slow stuff with a 7-6(5), 7-6(2) win over Robin Haase on Wednesday. Verdasco in showing signs of life this week and he is playing at home, but it’s hard to imagine him turning in three straight impressive performances. The former world No. 7 has not won three matches at any one event in 2013. Unless Tsonga serves terribly and allows his opponent to dictate from the baseline, this should be straightforward.
Pick: Tsonga in 2
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