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In a clash between master and apprentice, 2009 champion Rafael Nadal faces 21-year-old Frances Tiafoe in the latter's first ever Slam quarterfinal at the 2019 Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday.
In his first official tournament since the US Open, the 17-time Grand Slam champion has looked pretty impressive. There has been no sign of rust whatsoever in the four matches that he has played at the inaugural Major of the year so far. Nadal has refurbished his serve, as admitted by himself and his coach Carlos Moya, and it is paying him rich dividends. Under pressure, the serve has held up and has given him many a free point.
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The forehand too has done him a world of good so far. The inside-out forehand has worked beautifully for the Spanish southpaw and has been a key to producing winners until now.
By sheer dint of his vast experience, the former World No. 1 should be the overwhelming favourite. However, Nadal knows it all too well that he cannot underestimate an opponent who has nothing to lose.
For the 21-year-old Tiafoe, a Major quarterfinal might be unchartered territory but he has surely earned his place. The quality of opponents that he has beaten to get to this stage speaks for that. Fifth seed Kevin Anderson and 20th seed Grigor Dimitrov have been his victims and that validates how much he believes in himself now.
The fact that he has played a five-setter and a couple of four-setters also shows his hunger and fighting spirit.
All those battles might have prepared him for his toughest opponent at the 2019 Australian Open yet - Nadal. It would take more than just determination to grind down someone like Nadal in a best-of-five set match, especially when the World No. 2 has been feeling good about his game.
Tiafoe could, of course, challenge Nadal with his aggression but it would take a lot to last the distance with the indefatigable Spaniard at the other side of the net. It doesn't look likely to happen in his maiden Major quarterfinal.
Here is all you need to know about the match:
Match: (2) Rafael Nadal vs Frances Tiafoe
Date: 22. 01. 2019.
Round: Quarterfinals
Time: Approximately 9 pm AEDT or 3:30 pm IST; it is the second match on the Rod Laver Arena in the evening session.
Where to Watch Details:
India: Matches will be shown live on TV on Sony SIX, Sony SIX HD, Sony Ten 2, and Sony Ten 2 HD. Matches can also be streamed live on SonyLiv.
USA: ESPN2 and Tennis Channel.
Australia: Channel 9 - Wide World of Sports, 9Gem, and 9Now.
Europe: Eurosport TV channel and on the Eurosport Player live streaming service
All matches can also be streamed live on the official Australian Open website.
You can follow live updates from the Nadal vs Tiafoe quarterfinal match here.
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