Rafael Nadal vs. Stan Wawrinka: Career Stats and Prediction for 2017 Men's Final

History awaits Rafael Nadal if he can beat Stan Wawrinka and clinch a 10th French Open title at Roland Garros on Sunday. Nadal has the edge in the career head-to-head between the two, but Wawrinka has been excellent in Paris this year as he bids to win the title he previously claimed in 2015.

Both players will also vie for an improved spot in the ATP world rankings, with Nadal looking for a spot he hasn't occupied in a while, per ATP Media Info:

Nadal has the edge between the pair in terms of career wins and losses. Wawrinka has 459 wins to his credit, compared with 259 defeats, per the ATP World Tour official website.

By contrast, Nadal boasts 842 wins and just 180 losses during his career.

On paper, the match favours Nadal, who has bossed this rivalry on clay, according to the Daily Telegraph: "Nadal boasts a 15-3 head-to-head record against Wawrinka, and his record on clay against the Swiss is 5-1."

Yet as the same source noted, few players rise to the big occasions as consistently as 32-year-old Wawrinka: "However, Wawrinka has a reputation as a big-match player and is three for three in Grand Slam finals, including a win over Nadal at the Australian in 2014. A different proposition lies ahead on clay, however."

The definitive proof of Wawrinka's big-match chops came during his marathon-length, five-set win over world No. 1 Andy Murray in the semi-final. It continued Wawrinka's recent habit of upsetting top-ranked players in Slam events, per ESPN's Brad Gilbert:

The winning streak on clay may be the most important of those numbers, even if Nadal knows few equals on the dirt. An illustration of Nadal's dominance is provided by the Spaniard having not dropped a single set in Paris this year.

It means Nadal is aiming for another flawless title win at Roland Garros:

Success in the sets has not been earned by narrow margins, either. Instead, Nadal has been clocking up victories in a convincing style, yielding few games along the way:

The platform for Nadal's success this year has been the forehand shot. ATP World Tour strategy expert Craig O'Shannessy (h/t BBC Sport's Piers Newbery) has detailed just how effective the Nadal forehand has been: "He has hit 61 forehand groundstroke winners to the semi-final, with the majority hit straight down the line."

Expect Nadal to once again rely on the forehand against Wawrinka even though the latter's own range of shots is impressive and tricky. Wawrinka has played some of his best tennis to reach this final, with his commitment to letting his own offense dictate matches a key feature of his progress.

However, Nadal is the one playing with the added incentive of making history by going for his 10th title at Roland Garros:

Putting the potential achievement into context shows what is at stake for Nadal, per Newbery: "Victory in Sunday's final would make him the first player to win any of the Grand Slam titles 10 times in the open era, and only the second ever after Margaret Court's 11 Australian Open wins."

Nadal's dominance of this year's tournament has been reminiscent of the peak of his career. Even though Wawrinka has been outstanding in Paris, Nadal's form has been more overwhelming.

This form, combined with the lure of earning history, should make Nadal the winner Sunday even though Wawrinka will end his run of not dropping a set at Roland Garros in 2017.

Prediction: Nadal to win in four sets