Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune vs. Stanislas Wawrinka Prediction: Rune In Form To Make An Impressive Start

On Monday, October 31, Holger Rune of Denmark will face former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in the opening round of the 2022 Paris Masters.

Holger Rune, 19, has had a remarkable season, having appeared in three consecutive finals over the previous three competitions.

Rune, who lost in the Sofia Open final to Marc-Andrea Huesler and won his second championship by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Stockholm Open final, reached a third straight final in Basel this week, but he couldn't prevent Felix Auger-Aliassime from completing a hat-trick of victories this month.

On Sunday, Auger-Aliassime defeated the Dane in straight sets to win his third title in three weeks.

Despite his setback, Rune will be pleased with how he has performed on the indoor courts. This season, he is 15-4 on indoor courts and 13-2 in his previous 15 matches.

In addition to the Stockholm championship, Rune won the Munich Open this year when his title showdown with Botic Van de Zandschulp was cut short due to an injury. So, with two championships and two runner-up results this season, Rune has been quite remarkable and has consistently progressed up the standings. Can he repeat his past three tournament results in Paris, where he will make his debut?

Stan Wawrinka may have battled during the season, but the Swiss is ending on a strong note.

The former world number three, who had only won three matches in his first ten events this year, recovered form in Metz, where he beat Daniil Medvedev en way to the semifinals, but had to withdraw from the last four due to an injury.

In the next two events, he was knocked out in the first round in Astana and Antwerp, but he came back to win in Basel last week. Wawrinka opened with a win against world number three Casper Ruud, then defeated Brandon Nakashima in three sets before losing in the quarterfinals to Roberto Bautista Agut.

If he can keep playing at this level, he may have a bright start in Paris. Overall, the 37-year-old is 17-14 in the Paris Masters, with his best performance coming in 2015, when he reached the semifinals.

Wawrinka will be eager to replicate his Basel success in Paris, but he has a difficult beginning.

Rune has been in fantastic form recently, and he is getting better with each competition. In this fight, he has the upper hand. Expect him to beat Wawrinka in the opening.

• Total Over 22.5 for 1.8
• Handiсap Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune (-2.5) for 1.8
• Handiсap Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune (-1.5) Sets for 2.25