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Borna Coric will have his task cut out as he faces a returning Rafael Nadal in the round of 32 of the Cincinnati Masters.
The legendary Spaniard will be returning to action for the first time since pulling out of the Wimbledon Championships ahead of his semi-final bout against Nick Kyrgios. The second seed has been spectacular in 2022. Nadal won the first two Grand Slams of the season for the first time in his illustrious career.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has also won the Melbourne Summer Set 1, and the Mexican Open as well. The southpaw won the Western & Southern Open on only one previous occasion and it came back in 2013.
Borna Coric is a former junior World No. 1 and has won two titles thus far in his senior career. In 2018, he climbed up to No. 12 in the ATP rankings but currently he sits at World No. 152.
Coric has not been in great form in recent years. He managed to defeat Lorenzo Musetti in the round of 64 in straight sets to set up a date with the legendary Rafael Nadal. At the recently-concluded Canadian Open, Coric was outclassed by Marin Cilic in the first round.
The head-to-head is interestingly poised at 2-2. However, their last meeting came way back in 2017 when Coric was on the rise. If Coric manages to find his rhythm back while playing against one of the all-time greats then it will certainly be a match that fans would enjoy watching. Rafael Nadal will go into the match as the overwhelming favorite. We are expecting a win in straight sets for the Spaniard.
Prediction: Rafael Nadal.
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