TennisSection previews the 2022 Rome Open as Novak Djokovic takes on Stan Wawrinka in the third round on Thursday, May 12th, 2022.
It will be a clash of heavyweights on Thursday at the Rome Open as Novak Djokovic renews his rivalry with longtime foe Stan Wawrinka. While Wawrinka is only just getting back from injury, Djokovic is the overwhelming favorite to record his 20thwin over the Swiss.
Novak Djokovic is yet to win a title this season and the possibility of heading to the French Open without any gold looms large. Djokovic can still come full circle this week in a tournament he has won five times before and along with a multitude of runner-up finishes. The 34-year-old got his Rome campaign underway on Tuesday in devastating fashion as he dropped just five games in a second-round win over AslanKaratsev. Djokovic was hardly tested by the inconsistent Russian who is slowly disappearing away from the limelight in 2022. He broke Karatsev four times from 10 opportunities to record a 6-3 6-2 win.
Stan Wawrinka, meanwhile, scored his first win in over year when he beat Reilly Opelka in the first round. And he followed it up with a second in as many days when he beat Djokovic’sfellow Serbian Laslo Djere on Wednesday. Wawrinka was the bookies underdog in that match, but defied the odds in a jam-packed Pietrangeli court under the lights. When Djere fired his final forehand long, Wawrinka could not conceal his relief and excitement. In match that lasted just a few minutes shy of three hours, the Swiss passed a physically demanding match.
Novak Djokovic leads Stan Wawrinka 19-6 in their head-to-head. Wawrinka is one of very few players outside the Big Four who have given the Serb the runaround in Grand Slam matches. But I struggle to think how he will beat Djokovic for the seventh time on Thursday. After a grueling three-set battle against Djere, I will be curious to see how his surgically repaired knee responds. His movement will be impacted, and that could be a major drawback going into a match against Djokovic.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Novak Djokovic to win in straight sets.
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