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Stan Wawrinka takes on Grigor Dimitrov in one of the highlight matches of the Monte Carlo Masters third round.
After a disappointing Indian Wells – Miami double, Stan played a great match in his second round opener here in Monaco, looking much like the guy who won Australian Open and Monte Carlo last year or made big noise early this year. He didn`t leave any chances for the in-form Juan Monaco with a 6-1 6-4 victory. Stan won the trophy here in 2014 with a win over Federer in the final, so clearly he feels very good on the surface and has great motivation to defend his points.
After having a rather disappointing season so far, Dimitrov managed to defeat Verdasco in three sets and Fognini in straight in order to set up this 3rd round clash with Wawrinka. The Bulgarian was in crisis before Monte Carlo and did improve to get his two wins against two good players – however, he vastly benefited from the inconsistency / lack of form of both Verdasco and Fognini. Fabio played well below his possibilities, while Verdasco could have beat Grigor with a little more attention.
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The Head 2 Head is 2-1 for Wawrinka (1-0 on clay), but Dimitrov won the last meeting last year on grass. Overall, it can`t be said that any player holds a matchup advantage over the other and the surface suits them both in the same degree – maybe with an edge for Wawrinka, considering his extraordinary title run last year in Monte Carlo.
Dimitrov is far from his best form, while Wawrinka has played absolute top tennis in his opener here, very close to his own best level. With Stan the better overall player and very focused to defend last years’ final I can’t see any way for Dimitrov to come out on top here, not the way he has performed lately. The Bulgarian would probably lose against any good, in form player, let alone to Wawrinka. Look for the Swiss to be stable on serve and take advantage of Dimitrov’s occasional blackout on his own serve.
There is no surprise that the odds are dropping on Wawrinka related bets. My tip will be Wawrinka to win with a 2,5 game handicap – the line seems pretty low and safe and Stan covered it in both his Head 2 Head wins against Dimitrov. The bet warrants high stakes as far as I`m concerned, you just can`t go any either way looking at the way Grigor played lately and how Stan played against Monaco. Prediction: Stan Wawrinka – Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 7-5.
Live streaming for Wawrinka vs. Dimitrov available for players at Bet365.com.
Pick: Wawrinka -2,5
Odds: 1.83 @ Pinnacle
Stake: 9
Possible profit: 7.47
Event date: 16 April
