Astana Open 2022: Stan Wawrinka vs. Adrian Mannarino Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 Astana Open as Stan Wawrinka takes on Adrian Mannarino in the first round on Monday, October 3rd, 2022.

Stan Wawrinka should be fully refreshed following a rollercoaster week at the Metz Open. The Swiss one hander picked his first top 10 win in two years when he defeated World No. 4 Daniil Medvedev. Will he build on that result when he takes on the flat-hitting Adrian Mannarino at the Astana Open?

After scoring one his finest wins since his injury comeback at the Metz Open, Stan Wawrinka was unfortunate not to build on that mammoth win over Medvedev. The Swiss one hander retired in his semifinal match against Alexander Bublik after just three games, apparently due to fatigue. Having played five matches in under a week (considering he came through qualifying in Metz), Wawrinka’s movement was significantly hampered and had little left in the tank. That explains why he skipped the Sofia Open this past week in order to recharge his batteries and jostle in another stacked field at the Astana Open this week.

Adrian Mannarino, for his part, has lost his last three matches. And worryingly for the French lefty, he hasn’t taken a set from any of those matches, losing to the likes of Mikael Ymer (7-5 6-0) and Constant Lestienne in a stunner at the Tel Aviv Open. The title hangover has clearly extended far beyond what Mannarino had envisaged when he won the Winston Salem crown at the end of August. Will he end his three-match losing streak at tour-level at the Astana Open when he faces Wawrinka for just the second time?

Adrian Mannarino leads Stan Wawrinka 1-0 in their head-to-head. The meeting took place seven years ago at the Miami Open, with Mannarino triumphing in two tiebreak sets. Despite being tour-level veterans, the pair haven’t faced off since that match. Mannarino’s flat hitting on an indoor hard court should cause panic to Wawrinka. But the manner in which the Swiss ran Medvedev ragged in Metz should elevate his confidence to pick up another valuable win in his quest to return to the top of his game.