Australian Open 2022: Rafael Nadal vs Yannick Hanfmann preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (6) Rafael Nadal vs Yannick Hanfmann.

Date: 19 January 2022.

Tournament: Australian Open 2022.

Round: Second round (Round of 64).

Venue: Melbourne, Australia.

Category: Grand Slam.

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.

Prize money: $75,000,000.

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Liv.

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Rafael Nadal vs Yannick Hanfmann preview

Nadal at the 2022 Australian Open.

Sixth seed Rafael Nadal is set to take on qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in the second round of the 2022 Australian Open on Wednesday.

Nadal began his quest for a second Australian Open title and 21st Grand Slam title with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Marcos Giron. It was also his 70th overall win in the tournament.

The Spaniard was in fine form, breaking his opponent's serve five times and was at his best in all aspects of the game. The foot injury that cut short Nadal's 2021 season in August certainly seems like a feature of the distant past.

Hanfmann at the 2021 MercedesCup.

Yannick Hanfmann, meanwhile, defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the second round. It was a huge moment for him, as it was his first ever victory at a Grand Slam. His opponent was in pretty good form as well, having won the 2022 Adelaide International 2 over the weekend.

Hanfmann had to earn his maiden Slam win the hard way as he came through qualifying to enter the main draw. He'll now look to aim to notch up a few more wins at the tournament.

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Rafael Nadal vs Yannick Hanfmann head-to-head

The two have played once before, with Nadal leading 1-0 in head-to-head. He won their only encounter in the first round of the 2019 Roland Garros 6-2, 6-1, 6-3.

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Rafael Nadal vs Yannick Hanfmann prediction

Nadal at the 2022 Australian Open.

Given the vast gulf in their ranking and experience, Nadal will be the clear favorite to win the match. The Spaniard had made a very good start to the tournament, winning 84% of his first serve points. He also struck 34 winners and 26 unforced errors in his first match.

Hanfmann did quite well himself in his opening round match, but against Nadal, he'll have to bring something extra to the table. The German's got some big groundstrokes to engage in some power-hitting, but the former World No. 1 knows how to handle players like him effectively.

Hanfmann has just won his first Grand Slam match and if he was playing against someone else, he could've had a shot at winning another one. But Nadal is seemingly back to his best now, so it'll be quite difficult for his opponent to cause an upset.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in straight sets.