French Open 2024: Stan Wawrinka vs Pavel Kotov preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Roland Garros
Match Details
Fixture: Stan Wawrinka vs Pavel Kotov
Date: May 29, 2024
Tournament: French Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Roland Garros Stadium, Paris
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Clay
Prize: €53,478,000
Where to Watch: USA- Tennis Channel, UK- Sky Sports, Canada- TSN
Stan Wawrinka vs Pavel Kotov preview
Former Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka will take on Russia's Pavel Kotov in the second round of the French Open. The former World No. 3 is on a downward spiral as his career has been hampered by injuries. The 2024 season has seen Wawrinka get knocked out of many competitions in the first round. This has been the trend at the Australian Open, Rio Open, and the BNP Paribas Open. Wawrinka played in two ATP tournaments in the lead-up to the French Open.
The Swiss lost to Mariano Navone in the second round at the Grand Prix Hassan tournament and then to Alex de Minaur in the opening round of the Monte-Carlo Masters. However, in the battle of Grand Slam champions, Wawrinka has made a nice start to his Roland Garros 2024 campaign by defeating Andy Murray in the opening round.
Pavel Kotov has regularly played at clay-court events leading up to the 2024 French Open. Progressing to the semi-finals in Morocco has been the best result for the Russian, where he lost to Roberto Carballes Baena. At the Lyon Open, Kotov made it to the quarter-finals, where he lost to the second seed Alexander Bublik.
In the opening round of the French Open, Kotov got an upset victory over 32nd seed Cameron Norrie in a grueling five-setter. The win was significant as Norrie has already been a semifinalist at a Major at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.
Stan Wawrinka vs Pavel Kotov head-to-head
This will be the first encounter between the duo on the ATP Tour.
Stan Wawrinka vs Pavel Kotov odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Stan Wawrinka vs Pavel Kotov prediction
Wawrinka played well to dispatch Andy Murray in the opening round. However, Murray is no longer the player he used to be, and like Wawrinka, the Brit too came into this tournament after numerous injury concerns.
On the other hand, Kotov has been playing regularly on the tour and getting impressive wins against seeded players. The Russian's win over Norrie in a five-setter proves he has the mental tenacity to go the distance if the situation arises.
Wawrinka has the experience of being a champion and a runner-up at the French Open on his side. The Swiss might also have an advantage as Kotov had to stay on the court almost two hours more than him in the opening match. Given his pedigree and experience, Wawrinka should be able to come through in this match.
Pick- Wawrinka to win in four sets.