Match Details
Fixture : (6) Stan Wawrinka vs Lorenzo Sonego
Date: July 29, 2023
Tournament: Croatia Open 2023
Round: Semifinal
Venue: Umag, Croatia
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize money: €562,515
Live telecast: USA: Tennis Channel | UK: Amazon Prime | Australia: beIN Sports | Canada: TSN
Stan Wawrinka vs Lorenzo Sonego preview
Stan Wawrinka will take on Lorenzo Sonego in the semifinals of the Croatia Open on Saturday.
Wawrinka entered the ATP 250 event following a second-round exit at the Swiss Open in Gstaad and started with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Filip Misolic. He next faced Federico Coria and beat him 7-5, 6-1 to set up a quarterfinal clash against fourth seed Roberto Carballes Baena.
The Spaniard broke Wawrinka's serve in the very first game of the match but the latter rallied back and eventually won 6-4 to take the lead in the match. The second set was tightly contested with neither player breaking serve until the Swiss did so in the very last game to win 7-5 and book his place in the semifinals of the Croatia Open.
Lorenzo Sonego entered the Croatia Open after suffering a first-round exit at the Swiss Open. The Italian received a walkover to the second round by virtue of being one of the top four seeds.
He faced compatriot Marco Cecchinato and beat him 6-1, 7-6(7) to book his place in the quarterfinals where he locked horns with Jaume Munar.
The Spaniard won the opening set 6-3 before Sonego dominated the second to win it 6-1 and force the match into a decider. He took the final set 6-2 to qualify for the semifinals of the Croatia Open.
Stan Wawrinka vs Lorenzo Sonego head-to-head
The head-to-head between the two currently stands at 0-0 as they haven't locked horns before.
Stan Wawrinka vs Lorenzo Sonego odds
All odds are sourced from BETMGM.
Stan Wawrinka vs Lorenzo Sonego prediction
Sonego might enter the match as the favorite to win but Wawrinka's experiences and recent performances should not be written off.
The Swiss has been very effective on his first serve so far in Umag, winning 67 out of 86 points with nine aces to his name.
His second serve has been pretty decent as well, winning 48 out of 74 points there. Stan Wawrinka's level may not be what it was from 2014-2016 but he has looked in good touch and his composure will come in handy against Lorenzo Sonego.
The Italian has also been strong on his first serve and while he hasn't served too many aces, Sonego has still managed to fetch 69 out of 93 points. Sonego's serve and on-court movement will be crucial if he is to come out on top against Wawrinka.
The Swiss is yet to drop a set in Umag but he has his work cut out this time. However, his experience might just about see him edge out Sonego and reach his first ATP singles final since 2019.
Pick: Wawrinka to win in three sets.