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Match details
Fixture: (PR) Stan Wawrinka vs Alexander Bublik
Tournament: ABN AMRO Open 2023
Round: First Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Rotterdam, Netherlands
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €2,074,505
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Stan Wawrinka vs Alexander Bublik preview
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka will face off against Alexander Bublik in the first round of the 2023 ABN AMRO Open.
Like other top players, Wawrinka began the 2023 season by competing in the United Cup. He defeated Bublik in his first group tie, but lost to Hubert Hurkacz afterwards as Switzerland were eliminated in the round-robin stage.
Wawrinka's Australian Open journey was rather brief. He was drawn against Alex Molcan in the first round and led by two sets to one, but went on to lose the match in five sets. The 37-year-old then represented his country in the Davis Cup qualifying rounds.
Wawrinka lost to Alexander Zverev in straight sets, but defeated Daniel Altmaier in three sets in the decisive rubber to help Switzerland make the finals. A former ABN AMRO Open champion, he'll be hoping for yet another memorable outing in the Dutch capital.
Bublik is having a rather tough time this year and is yet to win a match. He lost both of his United Cup matches and crashed out in the first round of the ASB Classic and the Australian Open. His fortunes didn't improve at the Davis Cup either as he lost both of his singles ties.
Bublik then headed to Montpellier for the Open Sud de France, where he was the defending champion. He lost a closely contested three-set battle against Gregoire Barrere in the first round. The Kazakh also ended up smashing three of his racquets in a fit of rage during the match.
Stan Wawrinka vs Alexander Bublik head-to-head
Bublik leads Wawrinka 2-1 in the head-to-head. Wawrinka won their most recent encounter at the 2023 United Cup in straight sets.
Stan Wawrinka vs Alexander Bublik odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Stan Wawrinka vs Alexander Bublik prediction
Bublik is yet to taste victory this year, losing all seven of his matches so far. However, he's on a nine-match losing streak, taking into consideration his last couple of losses towards the end of 2022. Wawrinka has been marginally better, but his current form leaves a lot to be desired as well.
In his most recent loss, Bublik led 4-2 in the deciding set against Barrere, but nerves got the better of him. He started taking too many risks and accumulated a ton of errors in the process. His serve has been quite up and down lately, which has only added to his woes.
Bublik and Wawrinka squared off just a few weeks ago at the United Cup. The Swiss remained in control of the proceedings for most of the match and didn't face a single break point.
However, Wawrinka hasn't had a great year either, having won just a couple of matches so far. For now, this seems to be Bublik's best shot at snapping his losing streak, but the three-time Major champion will still be favored to come out on top.
Pick: Stan Wawrinka to win in three sets.
