Stan Wawrinka will look to test himself out for the first time since tennis went on a break when he faces Italy’s Roman Safiullin at the 2020 Prague Challenger. This second round match is scheduled to begin not before 2.30 pm local time (1.30 pm BST). Get the live streaming options of this Stan Wawrinka v Roman Safiullin match along with its preview, head to head and tips here.
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Stan Wawrinka v Roman Safiullin Head to Head
This will be the first time that the world number 17 Wawrinka will be up against the 189th-ranked Safiullin in a competitive match.
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Rusty Wawrinka Hopes to Get Season Moving
Having last played in a competitive match in the last week of February, Wawrinka could start out a bit rusty, especially since he has also opted not to feature in any of the exhibition competitions which were played during the break.
Wawrinka had had struggled with injuries in 2018 and 2019 and that had meant he went without a title and slid down the rankings. However, towards the end of the previous season he pulled some crucial wins back including making the final of the Antwerp Open.
Earlier this season, Wawrinka participated in three tournaments. He made the semifinal at the Qatar Open to kick things off but his most solid showing came at the Australian Open where he reached the quarterfinal before going down to Alexander Zverev.
And then in his final tournament of the season in Acapulco, Wawrinka was sent packing by Grigor Dimitrov.
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Safiullin in Form in Lower Tier
Ranked 189th in the world with a career best of 170th, Safiullin hasn’t played in too many ATP competitions yet. And while this is also a Challenger, it’s not often he would have faced a player of the pedigree of Wawrinka.
The good news for the Italian is he has shown form at the lower tier of tennis over the past two years or so. Like, even during the break, he featured in the Friendship Cup in Russia and won eight of the nine matches he played in. Similarly, Safiullin was the winner of the Cherbourg Challenger in France in February.
With a total of 20 titles on the lower circuits under his belt, this could be a good time for the 23-year-old to take on a player like Wawrinka. In form, and against a player who despite his ranking will be very evidently rusty. To top it all, Safiullin is coming off a straight set win over Lukas Rosol in the first round here while his opponent had a bye.
Stan Wawrinka v Roman Safiullin Prediction & Tip
Wawrinka might be 2/9 to win this but we think this match could get a lot closer and his Italian opponent might even have bit of a chance here. Looking at the games handicap as a result.
Tip: Games Handicap Safiullin +4.5: 5/6 (bet365)
You can watch & bet on the Prague Challenger on Monday, August 17 here. Get the latest tennis predictions and tips here.
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