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‘Zero Opportunity To…’ – Ahead of His Battle Against Fellow Tennis Veteran Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, 38-Year-Old Swiss Icon Downplays His Own Chances of Glory

Published 07/07/2023, 7:51 AM EDT

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The Wimbledon Championships is set to witness one of its first epic battles this year. Stan Wawrinka defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry in straight sets. This victory set him up against this year’s favorite, Novak Djokovic. The Serb, in his post-match press conference, joked that Wawrinka took away two Slam titles from him. So it is time for him to do the same to the Swiss champion. Now, Wawrinka has given his take on facing the 7-time Wimbledon champion for the first time on a grass court.

Having won his twenty-third major title at the French Open, Djoker is in amazing form and is continuing his winning streak on grass too. Speaking after his match win, Wawrinka made some intriguing comments that might cheer up the Serb’s fans.

The Swiss downplayed himself while lifting Novak Djokovic

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After winning his second round against Etcheverry, Wawrinka expressed his thoughts about playing against the Serb and his chances.

He said, “There’s zero opportunity to win Wimbledon for me, I think. I’m happy to have won today again. I think it was great match. I’m playing better each match, and as I say, I think it’s an honour to play Novak here.”

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Speaking of the Serb, the Swiss veteran said, “I was missing that on my career to play him in the Grand Slam at Wimbledon. That’s the last [place] I never played him, and it’s going to be a difficult challenge. Hopefully I can make a competitive match, but if you will look at recent results, I don’t really stand a chance.”

Wawrinka and Djokovic never played each other at Wimbledon but Wawrinka defeated the 2nd seed thrice in other Slams. Though the Serb holds the record of winning most matches head to head, two of the victories for the Swiss came in Slam finals. Instead of seeing this as a positive, Wawrinka stunned the Tennis world with his comments.

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The Swiss veteran already gave his own verdict of the match

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When asked about his thoughts on his next match, Wawrinka said, “I don’t know. I have to be on the court, play my best tennis and like I did in the past, but right now it’s been a long time I didn’t play at that level.” But he also revealed, “I like to watch tennis. So I’m going to be playing tomorrow and then watching the rest of the tournament.”

Though the Swiss meant his statement in a funny way, the pressure for the Serb to win against Wawrinka is going to be even more. The match between the two icons will be the oldest combined age in men’s singles after nearly 49 years. After the match between Ken Rosewall and Barry Phillips-Moore in 1974, it is Djokovic (36) Vs. Wawrinka (38) now.

Who do you think will win? Give us your predictions on the comments.

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WATCH THIS STORY: “The Other Two Have More Charisma” – Novak Djokovic Is Not In The League Of Roger Federer And Rafael Nadal, Says Former French Open Winner

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Written by:

Krishna Priya

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Vadlamani Krishna Priya is a tennis writer at Essentially Sports. Pursuing her passion for storytelling, she has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Helped by her cousin who introduced her to the rules and regulations of the game during her childhood, Roger Federer matches became Priya's gateway to the world of tennis.
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Edited by:

Tony Thomas