Miami Masters Sees Wawrinka Face Berlocq

World number eight Stan Wawrinka will face off against Carlos Berlocq of Argentina in the Miami Masters tomorrow. The Swiss seed will be aiming to reach the tournament`s last eight for the first time this year, his best Miami finishes being recorded in 2009 and last year when reaching the fourth round. Alexandr Dolgopolov was the opponent who saw him exit the competition in 2014, the Ukrainian the victor in three sets (6-4, 3-6, 6-1). Tomorrow`s rival has made it into the Miami Masters a handful of times, his best result coming in 2011 when he managed to reach the third round. Berlocq saw himself exit at the hands of Tomas Berdych (7-6, 7-5) after having seen off Jack Sock (7-5, 7-6) and Ernests Gulbis (6-1, 2-6, 6-4).

Whilst the seeded Wawrinka received a bye into the competition`s second stage this year, Berlocq ran out the three sets victor over Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round. The 32-year-old took the first set by six games to four before being pegged back by the teenager in the second, that finishing 6-3 to Kokkinakis, who is 14 years Berlocq`s junior. The Australian was only able to take two games from the last set as the Argentinean progressed through to face Wawrinka. Indeed, the two-time ATP title winner is an 18/1 shout with a trio of bookmakers (bet365, betfair, boylesports) to be able to see Wawrinka off in three sets whilst william hill`s 5/1 says that three sets will be needed to separate the two men.

The two second round rivals have met three times on court, Wawrinka managing to record victories on all three occasions. These meetings between the two men came in 2011, 2012 and 2013 with only one, that Paris Masters meeting of 2012, coming on a hard court surface. The Swiss number two would beat Berlocq in straights sets in this second round tie (6-3, 6-2) before losing out in the third to eventual champion David Ferrer (6-2, 4-6, 6-2). Both Coral and paddy Power have 2/7 on Wawrinka running out the straight sets winner once again though this victory on hard in 2012 was the first time that he had been able to not drop a set against the Chascomus-born player. Could there then be value in william hill`s 6/1 on Wawrinka winning in three sets?

The 29-year-old`s dominance in all of their previous encounters means that it is he who is the favourite to rule supreme tomorrow by any means. All of Betvictor, Coral and ladbrokes have the best price on a Wawrinka victory tomorrow, that price being 1/14. Otherwise, supporters of the underdog will get a price of 10/1 on a Berlocq win at bet365.

Berlocq`s best finish so far this year came in the Buenos Aires Open in his own country, the resident of that city managing to defeat three opponents, including the 22nd ranked Fabio Fognini, in straight sets before losing out to world number four Rafael Nadal in the semi-final. The two men had to be separated by a tie-break in the first set though the man ranked at number 68 in the world managed to win just two games in the second. Nine-to-two (william hill) is the price on there being a tie-break in the first set of tomorrow`s clash.

Wawrinka has secured two of his nine ATP career titles this year, scooping the Chennai Open in his first tournament of the year before taking the Rotterdam Open just months later, seeing off the better ranked Milos Raonic (7-6, 7-6) and Tomas Berdych (4-6, 6-3, 6-4) in the semi-final and final respectively. A number of bookies have 18/1 on him scooping his third title of the year, and the 10th of his career, in Miami.

Go To bet365

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26/03/2015     © Frixo 2024