Italian Open 2023: Stan Wawrinka vs Grigor Dimitrov preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

Match Details

Fixture: Stan Wawrinka vs (26) Grigor Dimitrov

Date: May 12, 2023

Tournament: Italian Open 2023

Round: Second Round (Round of 64)

Venue: Foro Italico, Rome, Italy

Category: Masters 1000

Surface: Outdoor clay

Prize money: €7,705,780

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video

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Stan Wawrinka vs Grigor Dimitrov preview

Stan Wawrinka in action at the Italian Open

Stan Wawrinka will take on 26th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of the Italian Open on Friday. Wawrinka has won 12 out of 21 matches so far this season, with his best performance being reaching the quarterfinals of the Rotterdam Open and the Open 13 Provence in Marseille.

Wawrinka entered the Italian Open following a second-round exit at the Madrid Open and was drawn against Ilya Ivashka in the first round of the tournament. He put in a dominant display to win the opening set 6-2.

The second set, however, was a lot more competitive. A final-game break from Wawrinka made the difference as he booked his place in the second round of the Italian Open.

Dimitrov has won 11 out of 19 matches so far this season, with his best performance being reaching the semifinals of the Rotterdam Open, where he beat Aslan Karatsev, Hubert Hurkacz and Alex de Minaur before losing to eventual champion Daniil Medvedev.

The Bulgarian started the European clay-court season with a second-round exit at the Monte-Carlo Masters and followed it up by reaching the third round of the Barcelona Open, where he was scheduled to face Alex de Minaur before withdrawing due to injury.

Dimitrov then endured a third-round defeat to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz at the Madrid Open.

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Stan Wawrinka vs Grigor Dimitrov head-to-head

Wawrinka leads 7-5 in the head-to-head against Dimitrov. The last meeting between the two came in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Mexican Open in Acapulco, with Dimitrov winning 6-4, 6-4.

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Stan Wawrinka vs Grigor Dimitrov odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (Over and Under)
Stan Wawrinka	+100	+1.5 (-250)	Under 22.5 (-115)
Grigor Dimitrov	-125	-1.5 (+175)	Over 22.5 (-120)

All odds are sourced from BETMGM.

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Stan Wawrinka vs Grigor Dimitrov prediction

Dimitrov in action at the Mutua Madrid Open.

Both players have won three matches on clay so far this season and while Dimitrov is the higher-ranked player, Wawrinka has produced some promising performances this season and should not be written off.

Wawrinka produced a brilliant performance in his first-round match against Ilya Ivashka, hitting 26 winners while making only seven unforced errors. Wawrinka has an effective serve and will look to fetch as many aces as he can. However, his biggest weapon is his one-handed backhand. The 38-year-old loves to attack but has the defensive skills and movement needed to do well on clay.

Dimitrov, like Wawrinka, has a single-handed backhand which is quite effective and versatile. The Bulgarian has a vast range of shots in his arsenal and will look to use that variety against Wawrinka. He has served 30 aces in six matches on clay so far this season and will be eager to get more of them against the three-time Grand Slam champion.

Wawrinka may be the lower-ranked player, but his clay-court prowess might just about see him edge out Dimitrov and reach the third round of the Italian Open.

Pick: Wawrinka to win in three sets.