Defending champion Rafael Nadal begins his Australian Open campaign against the talented Jack Draper on Monday.
Rafael Nadal
The Spanish veteran has had quite a contrasting start to the year compared to last year. He came, he saw, and he conquered last year’s Australian Open. However, he seems to be quite vulnerable at this point and fans are waiting for the southpaw to rediscover some good form.
Nadal is yet to win a match so far in the season. He played in the inaugural United Cup. However, a victory eluded him. He lost to Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur in the two matches he played in the 18-team tournament. The current world No. 2 will look to notch up his first win of the season and get some momentum going.
Jack Draper
The 21-year-old has shown a lot of promise this season and surprised a few big names in the couple of tournaments he has played.
Draper ended last season by losing to Brandon Nakashima in the semifinals of the Next Gen ATP Finals. The southpaw began the new season with a comprehensive win against Soon-woo Kwon in the first round of the Adelaide International 1. Draper was ousted in the second round by 8th seed Karen Khachanov. The young Brit played in the Adelaide International 2 and reached the semis with wins against Tommy Paul and Khachanov, who were seeded 8th and 3rd respectively. He lost to Kwon in the semis in a hard-fought encounter.
Head-to-Head and Prediction
Rafael Nadal and Jack Draper have never faced each other as yet. Therefore, the head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 0-0.
Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in four sets.
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