Events / Ben Caudell / 11 October 2009 / Leave a comment

Ben Caudell picks his best bet from day one at the Shanghai Masters where Stanislas Wawrinka may be given a real run for his money in the first round.

"Stanislas Wawrinka will be a huge favourite to win this match; however as with all the top players who have little to play for at the end of the tennis season, fatigue, interest and motivation can be affected, therefore providing punters with plenty of potential upsets to get involved in."

Lukas Kubot (POL) v Stanislas Wawrinka (SWI)

Top Polish player Lukas Kubot is approaching the end of one of his most successful years to date having hit his highest world ranking of 112 in September of this year.

The 27 year old also managed to reach his first ATP final as a lucky loser. He became the first Pole to reach an ATP final in 26 years eventually losing 6-3 7-6 to home favourite Novak Djokovic in the Serbian Open earlier this year.

This tournament undoubtedly provided the Pole with a stepping stone for further success and the confidence to compete with the top players in the world. This was highlighted by probably his greatest win earlier this month in Beijing when he defeated third seed and world number six Andy Roddick in straight sets 6-2 6-4 on hard courts.

Stanislas Wawrinka will be a huge favourite to win this match; however as with all the top players who have little to play for at the end of the tennis season, fatigue, interest and motivation can be affected, therefore providing punters with plenty of potential upsets to get involved in.

I believe there is definitely value in backing Lukas Kubot pre-match and trading out at a shorter price, it is important to note that Stanislas Wawrinka hasn't managed a decent win on hard courts since his win over Igor Andreev back in March of this year.

Selection: Back Lukas Kubot @ [4.6] to win the match
Lay Stanislas Wawrinka 2-0 @ [1.5]

Tags: Ben Caudell says: Back Lukas Kubot to beat Stanislas Wawrinka @ [4.6]