One of the more interesting match-ups in the 1st round of the Roland Garros men’s draw, surely is the battle of the veterans, former world no 1 Andy Murray vs his old rival Stanislas Wawrinka.
- Current odds
- Wawrinka 1.53 | -187.5
- Murray 2.60 | +160
Motivated Murray
Murray having fought hard recently recovering from injuries and also getting a new racquet after around 20 years time, is eager to see how far he can progress in a Slam still.
The Brit is planning to retire later this year and have struggled with form and injuries but also stated he is refusing to “feel sorry” for himself and claims to be motivated and fit enough to compete at the French Open this year.
“Initially I was expecting to miss the French and not play any clay at all. So to be here and feeling pretty healthy, and the ankle being good, is a huge bonus.” commented Murray.
He’s up for a challenge already in the first match though, 39-year-old Stanislas Wawrinka is still showing his qualities and that backhand of his. On clay, the Swiss tennis legend will also feel he has the edge today.
A match that brings painful memories
Many of us tennis nerds still remember Murray’s brutal, five-set, semifinal loss to Wawrinka in the 2017 French Open (watch on YT here) where he had his hip pushed to the limit and his career was never really the same following this day. In fact, he only played one match at the Roland Garros since this day, which was another loss to Wawrinka once again!
H2H
These two have met a total of 22 times on tour and Murray is up 13-9 right now. He also won their last meeting in Cincinnati in 2022 over three sets, that was on outdoor hard-court though. On clay, Wawrinka has a big 5-1 advantage vs the Brit.
Wawrinka and Murray have a combined age of 76 and three Grand Slam titles each. They first met in a Davis Cup match, back in 2005.
Predictions
Mostly because of the clay surface, we’ll go for a bet on Stan the Man Wawrinka here to eventually qualify and reach the 2nd round. This despite being older and lower ranked. Wouldn’t be too surprising with a five set battle.
A match you should not miss! Let us know your predictions in the comments.
