Stan Wawrinka will be back in front of the home crowd on Wednesday in Geneva, where he faces Alex Michelsen in the second round. Learner Tien and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also bidding for a quarterfinal spot.
(WC) Stan Wawrinka vs. Alex Michelsen
Wawrinka is making his final appearance at the Geneva Open, where he advanced on Monday with a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(5) victory over lucky loser Raul Brancaccio. The 41-year-old Swiss, who is retiring at the end of this season (presumably in Basel), is 11-3 lifetime in Geneva with two titles (2016, 2017). A fairytale third one is likely too much to ask for Wawrinka at this point in his career, as he is just 7-10 on the main tour in 2026 and down at No. 119 in the world.
Up next for the three-time Grand Slam champion on Wednesday is first-ever showdown against Michelsen. The 21-year-old American is by no means a clay-court player, but he did well to defeat Sebastian Baez 7-5, 6-3 in the opening round. That result alone cements Michelsen as a clear favorite in this matchup. The home crowd and the surface should keep Wawrinka competitive, but it’s likely the end of the road this week for the veteran Swiss.
Pick: Michelsen in 3
(WC) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. (4) Learner Tien
Tien and Tsitsipas will also be going head-to-head for the first time on Wednesday. Whereas Tien earned a bye as the No. 4 seed, Tsitsipas required a wild card simply to get into the main draw. The 82nd-ranked Greek took advantage of the opportunity by beating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 7-6(8) on Monday. Still, Tstisipas is just 4-4 so far on the clay-court swing.
Compared to his opponent, Tien is a complete rookie on dirt. The 20-year-old American is a mere 9-14 lifetime on this surface, but a fourth-round appearance in Rome — where he lost to Rafael Jodar — was very encouraging. Regardless of the surface, Tien is simply a far superior all-court player than Tsitsipas these days. To say that the 27-year-old’s consistency — or lack thereof — will be tested by Tien would be a gross understatement.
Pick: Tien in 2