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Stan Wawrinka vs Tomas Machac: Indian Wells Masters – First round
Tomas Machac is one of the uprising player on the tour and will start his journey in Indian Wells against former Grand Slam champion.
Stan Wawrinka Profile
The former world No. 3, Stan Wawrinka, is currently ranked 70th in the ATP rankings. He is only 1-3 for the season.
The last match he played was in the opening round in Rio de Janeiro, where he lost 7-5, 6-4 to Facundo Diaz Acosta. His only win this year came a week earlier in the first round in Buenos Aires, 6-7, 6-1, 6-2 against Pedro Cachin. In the second round in the Argentinian capital, he lost to Nicolas Jarry in the decisive tie break.
At the Australian Open, Wawrinka lost in the opener to Adrian Mannarino in five sets.
This will be Wawrinka’s 13th appearance in Indian Wells, and his best result was the final in 2017, when he lost to Roger Federer.
Tomas Machac Profile
Tomas Machac is currently 63rd in the ATP rankings, one spot lower than his career high. The player from the Czech Republic is 9-5 for the season and 7-4 on hard surfaces.
He is coming off a first round loss in Dubai to Alexander Bublik in the decisive tiebreak. Previously, Machac reached the quarterfinals in Marseille, losing to Hubert Hurkacz.
At the Australian Open, he made it to the third round, losing to Karen Khachanov.
This will be his second appearance in Indian Wells after he made it to the second round in 2022.
Head-to-Head – Machac leads 1-0
- Machac vs Wawrinka 6-4, 6-1 (2023 ATP Stockholm, round of 16)
Prediction and Conclusion
Stan Wawrinka has had a slow start to the season, but the three-time Grand Slam champion should not be underestimated. Machac is playing the best tennis in his career, and last season he won the only previous match against Wawrinka in a pretty dominant manner. However, Wawrinka is very experienced and has played many great matches in Indian Wells. The Swiss will show up ready on a surface that perfectly fits his playing style. Given the odds, Machac is the favorite, but we are going with Wawrinka to win at least a set.
