Stan Wawrinka begins his quest for Grand Slam immortality when he takes on Daniil Medvedev in the first round of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships later today. A Wimbledon crown would secure Wawrinka the Career Grand Slam, making the Swiss just the ninth player in history to achieve the gargantuan feat.
Pulling off that feat, however, will be easier said than done for Wawrinka. He has lost each of his last three matches on grass. In fact, the 32-year-old hasn’t won a match on this surface since the first round of last year’s Wimbledon. That being said, we give Wawrinka the edge in his first round match against Medvedev. He hasn’t lost at this stage of a Grand Slam tournament since the 2014 French Open. The fifth seed is also a two-time quarter-finalist in this event (2014-15). He is pegged at +2,500to win his first Wimbledon title this year.
Betting on Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev might be making his debut appearance at the All-England Club later today but he’s more than capable of springing a surprise against the three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka. He has been in fine form, reaching the quarters at the ATP World Tour grass events in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Queen’s Club and the semifinals last week in Eastbourne. He went toe-to-toe with eventual champion Novak Djokovic in that contest, losing a pair of 6-4 sets. Medvedev, who is looking for his first match victory at a major, is 7-3 on grass this season.
Given Wawrinka’s poor run of form on grass, Medvedev has more than a fighting chance of upsetting the No. 5 seed. He has already beaten quality players such as Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey on grass this year. Medvedev, who will be squaring off with Wawrinka for the first time in his career, has won five of his last seven matches on grass court.
Writer’s Prediction
Wawrinka edges past Medvedev in a five-set thriller.
