Roland Garros: Stan Wawrinka vs Dominik Koepfer preview, head-to-head & prediction | French Open 2020
Match details
Fixture: (16) Stan Wawrinka vs Dominik Koepfer
Date: 30 September 2020
Tournament: Roland Garros 2020
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: Approx. €38,000,000
Match timing: 11 am CEST, 2.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports/Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports/Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Also check out: The Complete French Open 2020 Results
Stan Wawrinka vs Dominik Koepfer preview
Number 16 seed Stan Wawrinka faces the red-hot Dominik Koepfer on Wednesday, in the second round of the 2020 French Open.
2015 champion Wawrinka made a strong start to his Roland Garros campaign with a statement win over former World No. 1 Andy Murray. The Swiss faced little trouble all match as he swatted aside his fellow three-time Grand Slam champion in straight sets.
Despite losing in the opening round at Rome to Lorenzo Musetti, 'Stan the Man' is one of the biggest dark horses in the French Open. The unusual conditions this year are expected to assist his heavy-hitting game.
It rarely happens that a player as high-profile as Stan Wawrinka meets someone in much better form than himself as early as the second round of a Slam. But the 35-year-old seems to have drawn the short end of the straw this year, as Germany's Dominik Koepfer is currently in the form of his life.
Kopfer shocked everyone in Rome, coming through the qualifiers to reach the quarterfinals. He then took a set off eventual champion Novak Djokovic - and ended up as the only player to do so in the whole tournament.
Dominik Koepfer dropped the second set in his opening match at Roland Garros but immediately regained control, winning the next two sets virtually unchallenged. The 26-year-old had also reached the Round of 16 at last year's US Open as a qualifier, and caused a lot of problems to eventual runner-up Daniil Medvedev.
Stan Wawrinka vs Dominik Koepfer head-to-head
Their upcoming match at Roland Garros will be the first-ever career meeting between Stan Wawrinka and Dominik Koepfer. Their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Stan Wawrinka vs Dominik Koepfer prediction
Stan Wawrinka is in the middle of one of the less impressive patches of his career. But the Swiss can never be counted out at the big stage, especially on clay, where his game is more effective than anywhere else.
The conditions in France this year give him an advantage. Wawrinka is one of the strongest players on the tour and can hit through the heavier balls just fine, as opposed to a lot of other top players.
The damp surface would also give the big-hitting Swiss enough time to set up his shots and find the sweet spot with his strikes.
Dominik Koepfer will relish the conditions himself, as they help his powerful left-handed forehand which often creates sharp angles. The German doesn't always go for broke, and is one of the smarter aggressive players on tour.
Koepfer can move very well himself and has very intelligent shot selection for a player of his tour ranking. But he is still inexperienced on the Grand Slam stage and when it comes down to the wire, that might just tip the scales in favor of the veteran Swiss.
Prediction: Stan Wawrinka to win in five sets.
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