Preview
Novak Djokovic secured a straight-sets victory over Aslan Karatsev on Tuesday, just three days after losing to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the Madrid Open semi-finals. The 34-year-old finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal in one of the best matches of 2021 here last season, and he carried that form all the way to the Roland-Garros title, defeating Nadal in four sets in the semi-finals. Djokovic has a record 37 ATP Masters 1000 titles, including five in Rome.
Due to his COVID-19 vaccination status, the Serb has only played a limited amount of tennis this season, missing out on the Australian Open, Indian Wells Masters, and Miami Masters.
The Dubai Tennis Championships were Djokovic’s first tournament in 2022, and he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Jiri Vesely. He was then defeated in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Serb then competed in the Italian Open, reaching the last 16 after defeating Aslan Karatsev in straight sets.
Stan Wawrinka, 37, came back from a breakdown in the third set of a thrilling match against Laslo Djere on Wednesday, following up a brilliant comeback against Reilly Opelka in the first round. The former world number three is an elite all-courter with three Grand Slam titles, including the 2015 Roland-Garros title, but back-to-back three-set victories in only his second tournament back from a year off the tour due to injury is a surprise.
Wawrinka made his ATP tour debut at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he was defeated in the first round by Alexander Bublik despite putting up a valiant fight. He then competed in the Italian Open, where he defeated Reilly Opelka 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 in his first match of the season. The Swiss then defeated Laslo Djere in three sets to advance to the tournament’s third round.
When is Djokovic vs Wawrinka?
- Date: Thursday, May 12, 2022
- Time: 11:00 am ET
Location:
- Venue: Foro Italico in Rome, Italy
- Capacity: 8000
The Djokovic vs Wawrinka match will occur at the Foro Italico. The venue can host up to 8000 people.
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Djokovic vs Wawrinka Match Details
- Match: (1) Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka
- Round: Round of 16
- Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
- Surface: Clay
- Prize Money: €5,415,410
- Live telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Amazon Prime Video.
Djokovic vs Wawrinka head-to-head
This will be the 28th meeting between Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka. Djokovic leads the all-time series 21-6, including 5-2 on clay.
Their most recent meeting was in the fourth round of the 2019 US Open. Djokovic was forced to retire due to injury after losing the first two sets, which Wawrinka won 6-4 7-5 2-1. Wawrinka had previously defeated him in the 2016 US Open final.
The two players have previously met in Rome twice, with Djokovic winning both times. The winner of the match will face Marcos Giron or Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Italian Open quarterfinals.
Djokovic 21: 6 Wawrinka
How to watch Djokovic vs Wawrinka?
- USA: Tennis Channel will broadcast the Djokovic vs Wawrinka match in the United States.
- UK: UK viewers can keep up with the action on Amazon Prime Video.
- Canada: Canadians can watch on DAZN, TSN, and Rogers Sportsnet.
- Australia: Fans in Australia can watch all of the action live on beIN Sports.
- Italy: The Djokovic vs Wawrinka match will be broadcast live on Sky Italia by the host country.
Odds:
Moneyline:
- Novak Djokovic: -1400
- Stan Wawrinka: +800
Handicap Bets:
- Novak Djokovic: -5.5 (-130)
- Stan Wawrinka: +5.5 (+100)
Total Games:
- Novak Djokovic: Over 18.5 (-138)
- Stan Wawrinka: Under 18.5 (+100)
*All odds sourced from BetMGM
Djokovic vs Wawrinka Prediction:
An epic tennis rivalry will be reignited. Wawrinka has made headlines yet again this week, as his injury recovery is going much better than many expected. Coming back from a set and a break down against Opelka, he found another gear and stormed back to win the match before battling Djere in the next round. It’s great to see him back on the court, and now he faces the world as number one.
There have been some outstanding matches between Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka over the years, and after last week’s match with Andy Murray was sadly called off, this appears to be a suitable replacement for some nostalgia. After being off the tour for so long, 37-year-old Wawrinka has no business being as a clutch in two three-set matches against solid clay courters, but he will be popular on Thursday in this round of 16 clashes, which could irritate five-time champion, Djokovic.
Wawrinka defeated Djokovic at Roland-Garros in 2015 and the US Open in 2016 for two of his six victories over the Serb, and the Swiss won their most recent meeting at the US Open three years ago, when Djokovic was forced to retire in the third set. Djokovic, on the other hand, leads this head-to-head record 19-6, and he is the clear favorite to win against a returning Wawrinka. Djokovic should win in straight sets.
Djokovic will be the overwhelming favorite to win Djokovic vs Wawrinka match, but Wawrinka should not be underestimated. After being out of action for over a year, Wawrinka has done quite well to reach the last 16 of the Italian Open. However, given Djokovic’s current form, the Serb is very likely to advance to the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Djokovic will win in straight sets.
