2014 Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka begins his quest for a third major when he faces Russian veteran Dmitry Tursunov in the first round. Join The Roar for live scores from 8:30pm (AEDT).
Tursunov has experienced success against Wawrinka, but that was way back in 2008, when he defeated the Swiss star in Sydney.
Since then, Wawrinka has gone from strength to strength, winning two majors in 2014 and 2015.
His triumph at last year’s French Open was particularly impressive, given that he defeated the world’s most dominant player, Novak Djokovic, in four sets despite losing the first set in the final.
That victory over Djokovic proves that Wawrinka at his best remains one of the very few players with the arsenal required to defeat the world No.1 in a major.
Over the past couple of seasons Wawrinka’s forehand and serve have become major weapons, and this has allowed him to become less reliant on his incredible backhand shot.
The backhand however remains the jewel in Wawrinka’s crown. It is the best backhand on the ATP tour and one of the few shots that players like Djokovic find difficult to defend against.
On that basis alone, Wawrinka starts a very short-priced favourite against Tursunov. The Russian journeyman is a solid player but doesn’t possess the firepower to trouble an opponent who has experienced strong success at the Australian Open in recent seasons.
Wawrinka has also started 2016 with a bang, winning the Chennai Open without dropping a set. On form and talent alone, the Swiss star has what it takes to once again win the Australian Open.
Wawrinka to win in straight sets.