Fresh off winning a French Open title, Swiss sensation Stan Wawrinka is on to the third round of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships. Wawrinka takes on a daunting task in veteran Fernando Verdasco, who he’s struggled against in the past. Can Wawrinka take one more step toward the Wimbledon title? Or will Verdasco stop the Swiss’ momentum? Read on for a preview of this intriguing matchup.
Stan Wawrinka has yet to show his best self at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships. But that hasn’t stopped him from dominating his opposition, defeating Victor Estrella Burgos and Joao Sousa both in straight sets. He tallied 40 aces in his first two matches at the tournament.
[sc:Other240banner ]What makes Wawrinka so difficult to beat is his excellent serve. He’s won 84 percent of his first serve points at the tournament thus far. But his poor accuracy hurts his game, as he is putting just 57 percent of his first serves into play. Wawrinka had six double faults in his last match against Estrella Burgos alone.
Playing against a strong service player in Fernando Verdasco, Wawrinka will need to get his return game on point. He’s won just 36 percent of his return points thus far. But he’s been quite an opportunist, winning 40 percent of his break points.
Wawrinka would be better served to keep his opponent on the move to avoid Verdasco’s excellent return game and powerful forehand. The Swiss has been successful with his approach shots in the tournament thus far, winning 69 percent of his net points across two matches. Breaking Verdasco’s rhythm on volleys should help Wawrinka get plenty of crucial winners.
Wawrinka has lost two of his three career matches against Verdasco. One of those losses came 10 years ago on clay. The Wawrinka of today is a different animal with two Grand Slam titles to boot.
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Betting on Fernando Verdasco
Fernando Verdasco didn’t have a smooth ride on the way to his third round match against Wawrinka. He needed five sets to win each of his first two matches against Dominic Thiem and Martin Klizan, and both are not exactly world beaters. But the Spaniard has the best method of play to counter Wawrinka’s own style.
Verdasco is a well-rounded player capable of winning games both on serve and on the return. He’s won 71 percent of his service points, along with 44 aces through the first two games at Wimbledon. Verdasco is also tied for first in the tournament, winning 55 percent of first serve receiving points. Inhibiting Wawrinka’s first serve is crucial for Verdasco to steal this match.
The Spaniard has also excelled in his approach shots in his first two matches at Wimbledon, winning 73 percent of his net points. Approach shots will be crucial to expose Wawrinka’s struggle on the return.
Verdasco has won two of his three matches against Wawrinka in his career. But all three of those came on clay, and Wawrinka is more dangerous on the faster surfaces like grass. It’ll also be interesting to see how fatigue influences Verdasco’s style after playing a total of 10 sets heading into this match.
Writer’s Prediction
Wawrinka (-600) batters an exhausted Verdasco for a four-set victory.
