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Match Details
Fixture: (2) Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka
Date: July 7, 2023
Tournament: Wimbledon 2023
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: London, United Kingdom
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize money: £44,700,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | Canada - TSN & RDS | UK - BBC & Eurosport | India - Star Sports
Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka preview
Defending champion Novak Djokovic and three-time Major champion Stan Wawrinka are set to duke it out in the third round of the 2023 Wimbledon on Friday.
Djokovic kicked off his title defense with a straight-sets win over Pedro Cachin. He was up against Jordan Thompson in the second round. The Serb secured a break of serve in the sixth game of the first set and remained ahead after that to bag the opener.
Djokovic held a break point each across two of Thompson's service games in the second set, but couldn't get the job done. With neither player ceding any ground on their own serve, the set went into a tie-break, with the 36-year old coming out on top in it.
The two were evenly matched for most of the third set and it looked like another tie-break was imminent. However, Djokovic broke Thompson's serve in the final game of the set to win the match 6-3, 7-6 (4), 7-5.
A straight-sets win over Emil Ruusuvuori put Wawrinka into the second round, where 29th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry awaited him. The Swiss snagged an early break in the first set and never looked back after that, claiming it with ease.
Etcheverry responded by nabbing the second set to level the proceedings. Wawrinka went on a three-game run in the third set to go 5-3 up. He let go of five set points on his opponent's serve in the ninth game, but served out the set himself in the following game.
Wawrinka was in the zone by now and easily took command of the fourth set. He broke Etcheverry's serve twice to win the match 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. He has now made it to the third round here for the first time since 2015.
Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka head-to-head
Djokovic leads Wawrinka 20-6 in the head-to-head. The Serb won their previous encounter at the 2022 Italian Open in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka prediction
Djokovic didn't face a single break point in the previous round against Thompson. While his serving stats were impressive, he's still a little shaky during return games by his usual standards.
Wawrinka seems to be turning back the clock with his recent performances. The Swiss' serve held up really well against Etcheverry, and against a returner of Djokovic's caliber, he'll be aiming to do the same.
Wawrinka's ball-striking has been pretty good, but it's his improved slice shot that has been a standout this week. However, his consistency has been a bit of an issue and could prevent him from seriously challenging Djokovic, who's unbeaten at the venue since 2018.
At his best, Wawrinka was able to go toe-to-toe with Djokovic. But even back then, despite his best efforts, the Swiss often came up short. Their recent results speak for themselves, so expect the defending champion to notch up another win on Centre Court.
Pick: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.
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