The ongoing Cincinnati Masters has produced some entertaining tennis and with Novak Djokovic slated to meet Stan Wawrinka in the first quarter finals on Friday, the competition is expected to become even more interesting.
Djokovic and Wawrinka have met a number of times in the past and the last time they met was during the finals of the 2015 French Open, where the Swiss defeated the Serb. However, Djokovic has an upper hand as far as their head-to-head record is concerned, having defeated the Swiss 17 times in 21 previous meetings.
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The Cincinnati Masters first quarter final will be a humdinger of a contest with both the players known for their fighting spirit, apart from their skills from back of the court.
The two players are known for their gritty performance, but it has not been impressive so far in the Cincinnati Masters.
Wawrinka was stretched to three sets in both his previous matches against Croatia's Borna Coric and Ivo Karlovic, respectively. In fact, the fifth seed had to come back from one set down to win his matches, which also reflects about his character.
Karlovic, as usual, had a big service game and came close to defeating Wawrinka, who stepped up his game to set up a date with the world number one.
On the other hand, top seed Djokovic also lost one set in his pre quarters match against David Goffin and was strongly put to test against Benoit Paire as well. Djokovic is also aware of Wawrinka's route to the quarters and expects an improved performance on Friday.
"It's going to be the first time we've met [since] the French Open final," Djokovic said.
"Both of us, we are still not playing our best, but hopefully we can rise to the occasion and have a good match."
Djokovic has already had an incredible year winning two grand slams -- the Australia Open and Wimbledon -- along with other prestigious titles such as the Monte Carlo Masters and the Rome Masters. However, the Serbian will be eager to lift his first Cincinnati Masters, which is missing from his cabinet of trophies.
With other top players such as Andy Murray and Roger Federer having reached the quarter finals of the competition, he needs to be on top of his game to win his maiden Cincinnati Masters title. Djokovic has finished runners-up four times in the past.
Where to Watch Live
Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka quarter final has been scheduled for 11am local time (8:30pm IST, 4pm local BST) start with live Tv voverage in India on Ten Network.
Viewers in the UK can watch Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka quarter final live on Sky Sports 3/HD.
US viewers can tune onto ESPN 3 for the live coverage of the Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka quarter final with an online option of Watch ESPN.
International viewers can catch Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka quarter final live on Tennis Tv
