Either Novak Djokovic or Stan Wawrinka will improve to 2-0 at the World Tour Finals on Wednesday. Both men lost a mere two games in their round-robin openers.
Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka will be colliding for the 19th time in their careers but for just the second time this season when they meet in the Group A winners’ round-robin match on Wednesday night.
Although Djokovic is dominating the head-to-head series 15-3, they have had some memorable matches in the past. In fact, they have played three five-setters in the last two years; Djokovic won 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7(5), 12-10 en route to the 2013 Australian Open title and 2-6, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the U.S. Open semis last summer before Wawrinka prevailed 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 on the way to his first slam triumph early in 2014 at the Australian Open.
Memorable is exactly what their respective London openers were not. They both won 6-1, 6-1; Djokovic over Marin Cilic and Wawrinka over Tomas Berdych.
Dominance at this event is nothing new for Djokovic, whose victory over Cilic improved him to 20-9 lifetime at the year-end championship (16-5 in London, 4-4 in Shanghai). He has won 11 consecutive matches in London, a stretch that includes two titles. Indoor perfection extends all the way back to the 2012 Paris Masters, a tournament he won–again–two weeks ago.
Wawrinka was not in the same kind of form heading into the World Tour Finals. The fourth-ranked Swiss lost four of six matches after the U.S. Open and dropped his opening match at three events. He will have to do a lot more than beat Berdych in the Czech’s self-admitted “worst match of the whole season” to convince people that he is fully back on track.
And that will be an especially tough task for Wawrinka given the head-to-head trend, Djokovic’s current form, and the top-ranked Serb’s recent World Tour Finals dominance
Pick: Djokovic in 2
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Reportedly, Rafa will attend the match. (The source isn’t always reliable).
wawrinka to steal a set
Seriously, what is the point of WTF?
At least there’s a superstar on court…………………Mo Lahyani!
that
I hope this is a good match. WTF has been rubbish so far. I have a feeling this will be good.
wow scorching start by stan
wawrinka not hitting through the ball as much as he was doing in Australian open against djokovic. He cannot even win a set like this
stan wilting. Djokovic rolling. More of the same boredom now
it was a sin to think wawrinka would put up a show. This is disgustingly bad tennis from all players not named djokovic and federer
“….a sin….”
This. In fact, the whole tournament’s a sin.
vamosrafa,
I am in complete agreement with you. Stan was dreadful in this match against Novak. I must say that the matches I have tried to watch have been quite disappointing.
What the heck is going on? First the current USO champion unravels then the AO champion falls apart. A complete fiasco.
Federer will not be a happy bunny if he watched Wawrinka’s woefully inadequate performance at the O2 tonight. His chances of leading Switzerland to Davis Cup victory are suddenly not looking quite so rosy as they were.
^^Roger might have to pull a Sampras, ala the 1995 U.S. vs Russia Davis Cup final, also played on clay , where Pete won both of his matches, and partnered with Martin for the doubles win. Courier, the clay specialist, lost both of his rubbers.
^^^^^which would give RF the opportunity should they win to reprise his derogatory comment re: Stan after the ’08 Olympics when he implied he’d had to carry him……….
ed251137 (at 12:08 am),
—Federer will not be a happy bunny if he watched Wawrinka’s..—
He already is unhappy. Wawrinka destroyed Fed’s hope of becoming YE #1.
Nevertheless he came quite close. You have to hand it to the old boy, he keeps on trucking………
#WhileTheCat’sAway
ed251137 ( at 10:03 am).
No, I don’t have to!