Australian Open 2019 Preview – January 17th, 2019 at 1.30 am
This is a big second round match and again Milos Raonic finds himself having to compete against a top player. The big Canadian came through a tussle with home favourite Nick Kyrgios in the first round and now goes up against a former Grand Slam champion in the form of Stan Wawrinka. It’s a great looking showdown.
Stan Wawrinka v Milos Raonic odds*
Milos Raonic 8/15
Stan Wawrinka 6/4
* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 15th, 2019 at 8:45 pm)
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Wawrinka may have been a bit quiet on the scene lately but he is back at the Australian for what is the fourteenth straight season. In the last five editions he has taken one title (in 2014) and had two semifinal finishes as well. Last season was a non-starter for the Swiss man at the event though as he lost in the second round. It has been something of a rebuild for Wawrinka who had knee surgery at the back end of 2017.
So last year’s campaign was nothing more than really getting back into the groove of things and it will be interesting to see how he goes again. In the first round of this year’s edition the got a bit of a break as his opponent Ernests Gulbis retired halfway through the second set and that was after being a set up against Wawrinka.
Milos Raonic had the home crowd against him as he faced up to Australia’s Nick Kyrgios. However, that didn’t phase the 16th seed though who won through in straight sets. It is worth noting in that though, Kyrgios did have a knee problem and he was letting that affect his temperament. But still, Raonic stuck to his guns and got the win, and he has that lethal serve at his disposal.
Wawrinka and Raonic have met six and time before throughout their career and it is Wawrinka who holds a 4-2 lead. However, it is Raonic who has won the last two and those have both been Grand Slam encounters as well. He took a win over Wawrinka at the 2016 Australian Open in the round of sixteen, getting the job done in an epic five-setter. Then they met last year at the US Open with Raonic again prevailing, this time in straight sets.
Prediction
We were all over Raonic getting the underdog win against Kyrgios in that first round and now he goes into the second round as favourite. We can’t argue with that really. He has the tools needed to take down Wawrinka who isn’t in the prime of his career anymore. Raonic to win at 8/15 odds* (betting odds taken from bet365 on January 15th, 2019 at 8:45 pm)
