Italian Open in Rome, Round of 16, Thursday, 12.05.2022
The currently best player in the world is not competing in Rome – is this the big chance for the actual number 1 to finally land the first coup of the new year at the Italian Open?
For his round of 16, which will be played on Thursday, he has not chosen the most difficult opponent. The bookmakers are so optimistic in my Djokovic Wawrinka tip that I’m taking a close look at both players!
The year 2022 can be analysed much faster for Novak Djokovic than we are used to from the Djoker. After protracted vaccination disputes, the Serb knows: every tournament doesn’t let him start.
He spends a lot of time on training courts, so it takes him quite a long time to get into a rhythm. After losing the competitions in Dubai and Monte Carlo very disappointingly, he at least reached the final at home in Belgrade.
But here, too, his clear defeat against Andrey Rublev showed: Djokovic has simply not yet arrived at his own level. In Madrid, we got our first glimpse of how the 34-year-old will play once he is back in form.
He was eliminated in the semi-finals, but his 7-6, 5-7, 6-7 defeat of the currently unbeatable Carlos Alcaraz was a big step towards becoming one of the favourites at the French Open. Before heading to Paris, strong results are needed in Rome.
Djokovic has already experienced everything at this tournament. He has reached the final eleven times and won the title five times. A year ago, he lost to Rafael Nadal in three sets. He started 2022 with an easy run-out against Aslan Karatsev.
The favourite won 6-3, 6-2, and he certainly didn’t have to push his limits. The fact that he only gave Karatsev two opportunities to break was strong, he allowed one.
In a few days Novak Djokovic will be 35 years old, his opponent on Thursday is already one step further. Stan Wawrinka, 37 years old, is facing him! The two veterans definitely have one thing in common: Enough experience.
Finally, a match in which the direct comparison spits out impressive numbers. 25 duels can be seen, the balance points clearly to Djokovic’s side with 19:6. However, the two have not met on court for a long time.
The last time they met, at the 2019 US Open, the Serb was banged up, also retiring in the round of 16. The other matches all took place before September 2016. Therefore, it will probably do Wawrinka no good that he has won the most recent two.
Nevertheless, I will briefly mention one match. In 2008, they both played the final of the Italian Open! 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, the favourite had to stretch quite a bit in his victory.
While Djokovic is still able to build on this success today, the glory days of his Swiss opponent are long gone. Wawrinka, however, has now surprisingly fought his way into the last 16, although his opponents were anything but easy.
His 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over Reily Opelka was impressive, and the 37-year-old became stronger with every rally. A few days later, he followed it up with a 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 win over Laslo Djere. His opponents broke a total of four times, and he will have to hold serve against Djokovic as well.
That the Swiss is now still in the tournament was not to be expected, after all, he had been eliminated directly in his only two competitions in 2022.
My Djokovic Wawrinka Tip
A total of 72 years are on the court in this round of 16 match, Djokovic and Wawrinka know each other very well. For the Swiss, the duel achieved is a great success that no one had expected.
But whoever knocks out Opelka and Djere has every right to play Djokovic. The victory belongs to him in my eyes, although Wawrinka will not give up.
My tip: Djokovic wins at Under 20.5 Games!
