The action in the first round of the first tournament in Athens continues on Monday, when Stan Wawrinka takes on Botic van de Zandschulp. Miomir Kecmanovic starts his week against Kamil Majchrzak.
(WC) Stan Wawrinka vs. Botic from Zandschulp
There are no indications of retirement from the Wawrinka camp, so the Hellenic Championship may not be the last ATP tournament of his career. However, it is the final event of a tough season for the 40-year-old Swiss. He is 3-12 on the main tour and has even struggled at Challenger level, ranking him at No. 158 in the world.
First up for Wawrinka on Monday is a second meeting with Van de Zandschulp, who lost their only previous match 6-3, 6-3 on the clay courts of the 2020 Prague Challenger. Van de Zandschulp has also struggled in 2025, with a 16-20 record at ATP level and a ranking of 84th. Last weekend he failed to qualify for the Paris Masters. Van de Zandschulp has a history of great victories, but his history of terrible losses is much more extensive. The thirty-year-old Dutchman can never be trusted as a big favorite in a match, not even this one.
Choice: Wawrinka in 3
Miomir Kecmanovic vs. Kamil Majchrzak
Kecmanovic and Majchrzak will face each other for the fifth time in their careers on Monday. The head-to-head series is 3-1 in favor of Kecmanovic (2-0 on the main tour), but they have not met since 2021. The 53rd-ranked Serbian was victorious twice that season, in straight sets at both the Australian Open and the Tokyo Olympics.
Although Kecmanovic is still the highest ranked man in 2025, it is Majchrzak who is currently playing superior tennis. The 70th-ranked Pole reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, won a Challenger title in Poland, advanced to the third round of the US Open, won multiple matches in Winston-Salem and Shanghai, and successfully qualified in Basel. Kecmanovic, on the other hand, has a terrible record of 2-7 in his last seven tournaments.
Choice: Majchrzak in 3
#Athens #picks #Van #Zandschulp #Wawrinka #Kecmanovic #Majchrzak