Damien Kayat previews the 2023 Astana Open.
2023 ATP Tour
ATP 250
Astana Open
National Tennis Centre, Astana, Kazakhstan (Indoor Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 32 Matches- 27th September
Seb Korda 32/100 | Alexei Popyrin 21/10
It seems as if Seb Korda is finally starting to rediscover his best tennis following that right-wrist injury. The gangly American reached a final in Adelaide before an amazing run to the Aussie Open quarterfinals. But the injury that forced him to withdraw from his quarterfinal clash with Khachanov took him away from action for a few months. He struggled to get back to speed following that setback but he has looked far more consistent in recent weeks. He reached the semis in Winston-Salem prior to a disappointing first-round exit at the US Open. But he bounced back with another semi-final in China last week. He plays an aggressive brand of tennis that should be perfectly suited to these brisk indoor courts. He thrived in this indoor portion of last season, reaching finals in Gijon and Antwerp. He will be hugely motivated to end this season in a similar manner.
This has been quite a comeback season for 24-year-old Alexei Popyrin. The Aussie really came to the fore in 2021, winning his maiden title in Singapore and jumping into the top 60 in the world rankings. But his form plummeted last season and it really looked like he faced an uphill battle to regain relevance. He stared the season well, surprising Taylor Fritz en route to a 3rd round run at the Aussie Open. But it wasn’t until this latter part of the season that the Aussie started to really make a splash. He won his 2nd ATP title in Umag before an amazing run in Cincinnati where he reached his maiden Masters 1000 quarterfinal. This has all helped to propel him into the top 40 for the first time in his career. He will be making his first appearance since a subpar first-round defeat at the US Open.
The Verdict: Korda to win in straight-sets
This will be the first career meeting between these two. This should be a fascinating clash between two players who are almost the mirror image of one another. They are both lanky guys with powerful serves who like to play front-foot tennis. Also, both players move far better than their height suggests. I ultimately think that Korda has a little bit more variety and should have too much class for his opponent.
Stan Wawrinka 4/9 | Marcos Giron 31/20
You have to admire the pluck of 38-year-old Swiss Stan Wawrinka. He came back to action last year following left foot surgery. But it was a real grind and he ended the season ranked just inside the top 150 in the world. But the three-time Grand Slam champion has really fought his way back this season and is currently ranked inside the top 50 in the world. He reached a final in Umag before an encouraging round of 16 run in Cincinnati. He then put up a strong showing at Flushing Meadows, taking a set off bang in-form Jannik Sinner in their 3rd round meeting. Wawrinka has reached five indoor hardcourt finals in his career and he should be quite comfortable on these Astana surfaces. He should feel refreshed as this is his first outing since the US Open.
Industrious Marcos Giron has enjoyed a pretty uneven season. A finalist in San Diego last year, Giron stared this year in very encouraging fashion, reaching quarterfinals in Auckland, Dallas and Delray Beach. But his form has fallen off a cliff in recent months. The nuggety American produced some solid tennis in Toronto, reaching the final 16 of a prestigious Masters 1000 event. But that tournament preceded a four-match losing streak. He broke that streak with an excellent upset win over Bublik at last week’s Chengdu Open. But he followed that amazing result with an insipid showing against Rinderknech. Giron will draw on that performance against Bublik as he looks to defeat an ageing titan of the tour.
The Verdict: Wawrinka to win in three
This will be the first career meeting between these two. Giron is a true competitor who tries to get the most out of his modest gifts. Wawrinka is coming to the end of a long season and may be feeling slightly jaded. I think there’s decent value in a three-set Wawrinka victory.
