ROGER FEDERER AND STAN WAWRINKA – SWISS TENNIS PICKS BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 9th January 2016

International Tennis Tournament in Brisbane

ROGER FEDERER AND STAN WAWRINKA - SWISS TENNIS PICKS BY RICKY DIMON

epa05093618 Roger Federer of Switzerland returns the ball to Dominic Thiem of Austria during their semi-final match on day 7 of the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament in Brisbane, Australia, 09 January 2016. Federer won and advanced to the final. EPA/DAVE HUNT AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Fellow Swiss stars Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka began their respective 2015 campaigns with titles in Brisbane and Chennai. They are both one win away from accomplishing the exact same feats this season. Federer will face Milos Raonic–again–on Sunday, while Wawrinka is going up against Borna Coric.

Brisbane International: (1) Roger Federer vs. (4) Milos Raonic

Federer and Raonic will be squaring off for the 11th time in their careers. The 34-year-old is dominating the head-to-head series 9-1, including 6-1 on hard courts. Raonic’s lone victory came via a 7-6(5), 7-5 decision at the 2014 Paris Masters that propelled him to a debut appearance at the World Tour Finals. They faced each other twice last season, including in this very same Brisbane championship match. Federer triumphed 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-4 before beating Raonic again 7-5, 6-4 in the Indian Wells semis.

Success at the Indian Wells-Miami double was really the last significant Raonic sighting in 2015. The world No. 14 was plagued by a foot injury the rest of the way, which is the main reason why he has plunged out of the top 10. But he appears to be back is business in 2016 with victories this week over Ivan Dodig, Lucas Pouille, and Bernard Tomic. Raonic has dropped only one set (to Dodig) and one service game (to Pouille).

Milos Raonic of Canada returns the ball during his match against Lucas Pouille of France on day 6 of the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament in Brisbane, Australia, 08 January 2016. EPA/DAVE HUNT

Federer is through to his third Brisbane title match in as many appearances. The Swiss has mostly been in cruise control this week aside from a second-set hiccup during quarterfinal action against Grigor Dimitrov, whom he held off 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4. Federer also boasts much more routine defeats of Tobias Kamke and Dominic Thiem.

“I’m very excited to be back in the final. It’s going to be special playing Milos again. Big-serving guys are always just tricky. I don’t know if it’s that I don’t like to play them–I always embrace the challenge of playing big servers. I have a really good record against them. I usually do a good job of getting the ball back and then finding a way. Sometimes it’s worked and sometimes it hasn’t.

“But I have no problems playing against him. Clearly, I respect his game. I think he’s made a lot of progress in the past few years.”

But how much as he improved? Probably not enough. The Canadian continues to be inconsistent from the back of the court and he did not break Tomic a single time in 12 return games on Saturday. Raonic may serve his way to a set, but Federer has a clear edge in this one.

Pick: Federer in 3

Aircel Chennai Open: (1) Stan Wawrinka vs. (8) Borna Coric

Death, taxes, and Stan Wawrinka the final of the Chennai Open. Those are pretty much the three certainties of life.

Wawrinka will contest his fifth Chennai title match in his eighth appearance at the tournament, and all five have come in his last seven trips. The fourth-ranked Swiss lost the first time to Marin Cilic (2010) but has since reeled off three titles (2011, 2014, 2015). He has had absolutely no trouble booking his spot in yet another Sunday finish. So far this week Wawrinka has cruised in straight sets past Andrey Rublev, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, and Benoit Paire, and no set has been more competitive than 6-4.

On my way to the club with my tuk-tuk!! Playing 1/2 against @benpaire at 5pm! #chennai #FastTransport – Photo by @stanwawrinka85 via Instagram.

Up next for the top seed is a third career meeting with Coric. They faced each other last year in Chennai, where Wawrinka rolled 6-1, 6-4. A more competitive contest at the Cincinnati Masters saw the veteran overcome the upstart 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-3.

Coric is though to his first-ever ATP final thanks to an impressively grueling run. The 19-year-old Croat needed three sets to get past Marcel Granollers, Roberto Baustista Agut, and Aljaz Bedene. Only in the second round against Austin Krajicek did Coric advance in straights. His semifinal showdown with Bedene lasted two hours and 56 minutes.

Don’t be surprised if this is reminiscent of the 2008 final, in which Rafael Nadal lost to Mikhail Youzhny. Nadal needed an unreal three hours and 54 minutes to outlast Carlos Moya 6-7(3), 7-6(8), 7-6(1) one day earlier. He promptly got destroyed 6-0, 6-1 by a salivating Youzhny.

Of course the circumstances are not exactly the same. Coric played for one fewer hour and the semis and he would be a heavy underdog against Wawrinka even with every physical resource in his tank. So this result will not be as lopsided or as surprising as the 2008 title match, but Wawrinka is going to coast to another victory in Chennai.

Pick: Wawrinka in 2

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: 10sballs.com, Borna Coric, Brisbane Tennis, Chennai Open, milos raonic, Ricky Dimon, Roger Federer, Sports, Stan Wawrinka, Tennis News

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Dimonator says:

January 9, 2016 at 4:35 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: -@rogerfederer And @stanwawrinka- Swiss #Tennis Picks By @Dimonator https://t.co/5i2wVJJMfh #BrisbaneTennis #Chennai http…