Matt Banji asks whether the Swiss star Wawrinka can outshine his compatriot Roger Federer.
With London set to host the ATP World Championship Finals at the O2 in just under a months time, the world of tennis moves deep into a heated debate about who will be crowned champion.
Some of the biggest names in the sport are set to go head to head in the battle for the title, as Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Stanislas Wawrinka take to the court.
Although Wawrinka is far from what can be described as an unfamiliar name in the world of tennis, the Swiss does appear to be quite the underdog in the bid for ATP final glory.
The star has booked his spot at the Championship Finals in the capital for the second time in his career after successfully accumulating 4,795 points to seal his fourth place ranking.
Wawrinka, 29, has enjoyed a successful 2014; the Swiss has used this season to prove that he has got what it takes to beat the top dogs having defeated Federer in the final of the Monte Carlo Open in April, and disposed of Rafael Nadal to be crowned 2014 Australian Open champion.
However, the Lausanne-born player has an uphill battle on his hands in his quest to claim the trophy.
Serbian starlet Djokovic, 27, is a three-time winner of the tournament having been crowned victor in 2008, 2012, and 2013 following victories against Nikolay Davydenko, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal respectively, and has beaten Wawrinka seventeen times in twenty head to head matches.
Wawrinka’s countryman Roger Federer will no doubt be the favourite for the ATP title, having won the championship six times in eleven tournaments.
However, the world number two, 33, has not had the most successful of seasons, winning just four of eighteen tournaments this year.
Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who is still to win the ATP Championship title despite reaching the final in 2010 and 2013, will look to avenge the defeats he suffered at the hands of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic and lift the trophy for the first time in his career.
The two-time Wimbledon winner, 28, has beaten top rank Roger Federer five times in eight finals, and has earned some positive results against fellow finalist Djovovic having won his last three finals against the Serbian, the most recent being the Spanish star’s French Open victory in June.
Despite the intense level of competition Wawrinka faces from the big guns, can he cause a surprise upset and emerge victorious in the capital?