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The sun, the shadows, and of course the blue courts provide an intense visual spectacle. The network was able to take advantage of the striking images created by the setting. The Australian Open is a symbol that my cold Pennsylvania winter will have to end eventually.ĭespite streaming and scheduling issues, I was impressed by ESPN’s coverage of the tournament this year. The courts shimmer and the players sweat under the Aussie sun. They are bright enough to light up a dark room ten thousand miles away. The blazing blue courts at Melbourne Park are oceanesque. It’s okay! The same wisdom that allowed you to move on the unkempt look, has propelled you to one of the greatest careers in the history of sport. You’re not the untamed upstart teenager wowing crowds anymore. The light did not cause an odd reflection in the mirror. Rafa, it’s not just an awkward camera angle. But the sooner it’s accepted, the quicker you’ll have peace of mind. It is neither good nor bad – it’s natural. There is a creeping, occasionally slow-moving endgame that comes for most of us. Rafael Nadal -4.5 Games Asian Handicap 1.An examination of Rafael Nadal’s greatness through an Aussie recap.He also has an 87% winning record against opponents with lower ranks than him. Rafa has a 91% winning record in Third Rounds in tournaments.In his latest Grand Slam outing (2021 US Open), the Russian was eliminated in the First Round itself.He is ranked 30 th in the world, as opposed to his challenger being placed 5 th by ATP.He has never made it past the Third Round in Melbourne. The Russian’s best outing at a Grand Slam Tournament has been Quarter Final appearances in the French Open and Wimbledon.Surely expect the Spaniard to continue this domination this weekend as well. On top of that, he also has a perfect winning record against this rival over the years. He’s also primed to go after the Australian Open title, and has the experience of making it to the Final five different times. On the other hand, Nadal is on a five-fixture winning streak, and not once did he drop a set through this run. Khachanov had lost two of his past five matches, and of the three wins that had come during this stretch, his highest-ranked opponent was Benjamin Bonzi – who’s placed 63 rd in the ATP list. Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal Prediction & Analysis On both occasions, Nadal secured victory. Once in the Third Round of 2018 US Open, and once in the Third Round of 2017 Wimbledon. Earlier these two had clashed in Grand Slams twice.The final scoreline was 6-1, 6-3 in favor of Rafael. The latest encounter between the two saw Khachanov taking just four games.In fact, through these eight meetings, he has dropped a total of just one set.These two have locked horns eight times, and each single time Nadal had managed to win.Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal Head-to-head (h2h) Moreover, the Russian also has fared poorly in Grand Slams over the years.Īs things stand, count on Rafa to secure another win this Friday in Melbourne with considerable ease.
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He is pitted against Karen Khachanov from Russia, who has an absolutely poor h2h record against Nadal.
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And Rafa will surely be eager to continue his run in the Third Round as well. He made short work of Yannick Hanfmann in the Second Round, dropping just nine games through the fixture. Not only has he won every single game this year, but the Spaniard is also yet to drop a single set till now. Nadal has kept his 2022 streak alive with spectacular performances one after the other.
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