tennis | Friday, October 28, 2022 7:58 AM

Friday Tennis Best Bet: ATP Basel, Roberto Bautista Agut vs Stanislas Wawrinka

Jon Reid

Roberto Bautista Agut vs Stanislas Wawrinka Best Bet: Friday, October 28th

Never close with Cameron Norrie, as he played a match strewn with neutral-rally errors and struggled to keep the ball in the court.

Onto Friday, where we’ll head to the quicker indoor courts in Basel on the GreenSet surface to preview the match between Stanislas Wawrinka and Roberto Bautista Agut.

In this article:

Roberto Bautista Agut vs Stanislas Wawrinka Preview
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Stanislas Wawrinka Best Bet

Roberto Bautista Agut vs Stanislas Wawrinka Preview

October 28th, 18:00 UK Time

Big matchup here between two veterans in Basel with a spot in the semifinal of a 500-level tournament on the line. With Wawrinka still looking to build back up to his best form after being out prior to the past few months and the Spaniard looking to get on track after some underwhelming events, both have it all to play for.

With the biggest threats remaining in the draw (the red-hot Felix Auger Aliassime and world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz) in the other half, this is also an opportunity for these two to potentially reach the final.

In terms of the matchup, I have the edge here going to Bautista Agut. Wawrinka is the one that brings more power, but that won’t deter his opponent – who’s adept, and even comfortable, counterpunching from the baseline.

In fact, the 34-year-old is typecast by many as a clay courter, when he’s actually produced a lot of his best results in quicker conditions.

He’s also the steadier player, with Wawrinka committing far more unforced errors, including for long stretches in his match with the younger Brandon Nakashima on Thursday.

Finally, I’m also looking to back Bautista Agut in the physicality and endurance department. We’ve seen Wawrinka struggle in recent times off of three-set matches, and even though Thursday’s tilt with Nakashima was about 2 hours and 15 minutes, it was a long match that could certainly deplete one’s energy reserves.

Bautista Agut dispatched a tough Andy Murray in relatively short order and should be much more fresh from the get-go in the quarterfinal.

Roberto Bautista Agut vs Stanislas Wawrinka Best Bet

All things considered, I’m happy to give up a rather small head start of just two games to the Swiss veteran.

Should he find his best form and hit with both power and precision throughout, so be it. I have this handicap at -3 games to the Spaniard, so a full game and odds at around evens is enough for me to get involved with a larger stake.