Madrid Open Predictions: Rafael Nadal vs Stan Wawrinka
By Harry Floyd
Action at the Madrid Open reaches the quarterfinals in men’s singles. Let’s dive deeper into the Rafael Nadal versus Stan Wawrinka matchup.
Two greats in men’s singles tennis reach the quarterfinals at the 2019 Madrid Open. One of them is the King of Clay himself in Rafael Nadal. The Spanish superstar is a five-time champion in Madrid, winning most recently back in 2017. The tournament’s defending champion, Alexander Zverev is also still alive in the quarterfinals. Nadal, however, could arguably be considered the favorite right now.
Standing in Rafa’s way is Stan Wawrinka. The Swiss tennis star is a three-time Grand Slam champion in men’s singles. He is an extremely accomplished veteran and has put on quite a display so far at the Madrid Open.
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So, who is the favorite in the Nadal-Wawrinka quarterfinals matchup? The odds have got to go in Nadal’s favor. While we love Stan the Man, we’re taking Rafa here. It’s tough to bet against him as he has a career 17-3 ATP singles match record against Wawrinka. Nadal has also won the previous four meetings between the two players.
Rafa and Wawrinka have not yet faced each other on the 2019 ATP Tour. That could work in Wawrinka’s favor. The Swiss star is also riding high on momentum following a huge win over Japanese great Kei Nishikori. Both Wawrinka and Nadal have been red hot so far at the Madrid Open.
Still though, the ball is in Nadal’s court. This is his time of year and you have to consider him the player to beat. Wawrinka is plenty capable of pulling off the upset, but it would be just that – an upset. Nadal is fresh off of a dominant performance against up and coming American tennis star Frances Tiafoe. He wins their round of 16 match with ease, going 6-3 6-4 over the younger challenger. Prior to his win over Tiafoe, Nadal also ousted Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime.
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We are taking Nadal next at the 2019 Madrid Open. He goes up against a storied player in Stan the Man Wawrinka, however, and cannot take this match lightly. Check back to see if the five-time champion in men’s singles will continue to cruise through his time in Madrid. Several other top players remain in the action.