2 things that could determine the fate of Novak Djokovic's 3R clash with Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon
Second seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia will take on Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in the third round of Wimbledon on Friday (July 7). The clash of the two veterans might prove to be an absorbing one, but the 23-time Grand Slam champion will start as the clear favorite.
Djokovic leads their head-to-head 20-6, but quite importantly, Wawrinka has beaten him four times in the Majors. Aside from Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, no player has beaten the Serb as many times in Grand Slams as Wawrinka has.
On that note, let's take a look at two things that might determine the fate of the match:
#1 Wawrinka’s down-the-line backhand could prove to be a key weapon
Wawrinka has one of the best one-handed backhands in the business and might be able to cause Djokovic some trouble with it. There will likely be plenty of crosscourt backhand exchanges between the two, but the Swiss will be the one more eager to pull the trigger down the line.
Wawrinka cannot afford to engage in lengthy exchanges with the Serb, as the latter will more often than not have the upper hand. Hence, in an attempt to finish rallies quickly, Wawrinka will rely heavily on his powerful backhand.
Djokovic likes to play his crosscourt forehand to make opponents stretch toward their right and should keep doing the same against Wawrinka. The onus will be on the 38-year-old Swiss to go down the line with his forehand to take the Serb by surprise.
#2 Djokovic’s superior skills from the forecourt should help him
Djokovic is decidedly a better player at the net than Wawrinka and will fancy his chances of winning most of the rallies from the forecourt. He might use the drop shots to drag the Swiss to the net often and dictate terms with his superior volleying skills and sublime touch.
Djokovic’s ability to play crosscourt drop shots from the forecourt might prove to be crucial on Friday. Wawrinka has left his best years behind him and might not enjoy rushing to the net often. As a result, the Swiss should try to win the match from the baseline itself.
But given Djokovic’s awesome record on the Centre Court, it will be an enormous task. However, stranger things have happened in tennis and Wawrinka can draw inspiration from his fabulous record against the Serb in Grand Slams.