Rafael Nadal will try to end a two-match losing streak against Alexander Zverev when they clash in the Madrid quarterfinals on Friday. Meanwhile, unseeded John Isner will try to keep his run going at the expense of Dominic Thiem.
(1) Rafael Nadal vs. (5) Alexander Zverev
Nadal and Zverev will be squaring off for the eighth time in their careers when they battle for a semifinal spot at the Mutua Madrid Open on Friday. The head-to-head series stands at 5-2 in Nadal’s favor, but Zverev has won each of their two most recent encounters–6-2, 6-4 at the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals and 6-4, 7-5 at last year’s Paris Masters.
Of course, both of those meetings came during what is always Nadal’s worst time of year–the indoor fall swing. This one comes at much different time, one that is the 34-year-old Spaniard’s favorite. Nadal may not be quite at his dominant best on clay these days, but he triumphed in Barcelona and so far in Madrid he has erased Carlos Alcaraz and Alexei Popyrin. Zverev is through to the Madrid quarters for the fourth time in four appearances, which includes a title in 2018. Conditions are perfect for the sixth-ranked German, so this could be Nadal’s toughest test of the entire week. Still, on clay and in Spain you have to think the five-time Madrid champion will get the job done in the end.
Pick: Nadal in 3
(3) Dominic Thiem vs. John Isner
Few would have predicted that Thiem vs. Isner would be a quarterfinal matchup in Madrid. Although Thiem is one of the best clay-court players in the world, he was coming off a month-long hiatus due to both physical and mental struggles. Isner has also played sparingly of late and he has never been at his best on the red stuff. Nonetheless, it has all turned around for both players this week. Thiem did not drop a set in early-round defeats of Marcos Giron and Alex de Minaur, while Isner has taken out Miomir Kecmanovic, Roberto Bautista Agut, and Andrey Rublev–the latter two in third-set tiebreakers.
It can’t be considered too big of a surprise for Isner, because the high-altitude conditions in Madrid suit his game to perfection. The 6’11” American has now advanced to the quarterfinals in three straight appearances. However, he has never reached the semis and this will be a tough task on the heels of two consecutive three-marathons–especially tough against a two-time French Open runner-up. Thiem should be able to get enough balls back in play to wear down Isner at the end of another entertaining three-setter.
Pick: Thiem in 3
who ya got?
Everyone left looks pretty darn good. Rafa obviously can beat them all but it will be tough! Vamos Rafa!1
I dunno. This is looking like a tournament made for the big servers. Still, I’ll go with Nadal and Thiem, both in 3.
Isner and Nadal in three
Thiem 2-0
Zverev 2-1
Keep calm, stay focused, remain confident, be strong and fight bravely, Rafa!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E0yBiG9X0AAAIaC?format=jpg
Zv pretty tough these days….even for Rafa….Zv in 2….and Big Dawg has been awesome this week, but Thiem wins in 2.
nice all in Zv…. almost on Isner
There’s a bit of tension out here between these two.
Nadal is starting to get catty with his whiny noises during each stroke.
To beat Nadal mentally you have to take the fight straight to him which is what Alexander is doing.
Zverev pulled the first set there like rafa did vs tsitsipas at barca
Tsitsipas was tired mentally in that match. Played at 75% capacity compared to previous matches.
That is bullshit! Rafa outplayed Tsitsipas. Period.
The younger players know they are stronger physically now and that’s a huge mental edge.
Wow! Rafa made to look pedestrian by zverev. Maybe the madrid conditions have something to do with it
Lol
Rafa has lost plenty of times in Madrid.
It’s not that surprising.
Nadal has applied Darwinism his whole tennis life and now Darwin is his enemy. Brings a tear to my eye when people take their own medicine.
Don’t see you saying anything when Tsitsi, supposedly in the form of his life, in peak physical condition is beaten in straights by Rudd.
It’s only Rafa you endlessly put down disparage and demean.
No one here likes you you know so maybe go somewhere else.
amy,
He’s a troll. He just does it for the same reason they all do. They have no life and are miserable. Like when he tells us all we are dumb and acts like he knows tennis. Which he definitely does not. He is unfortunately dumbing down the discussion considerably.
Rafa is getting there, but Madrid has never been easy for him with the altitude and
playing like a hard court. Rafa looked very frustrated in his post match presser. He mentioned his serve. He struggled with it in this match. Zverev played well and the conditions were great for him.
Rome will tell us where he is at.
I’m a troll am I? I’m probably the most decent, honest and insightful person in this forum.
Lol! Oh I got my laugh for the day!
Humble, too! What a joke! If you do say so yourself!
Someone complimenting themselves! Well nobody else is going to do it!
I can’t stop laughing! Think skinned, too! You can dish it out but you can’t take it!
Loser!
Thin skinned! Sorry, but I must make sure to get it right!
😉
Go back and have a read. I was the one that predicted both Nadal and Tsitsipas would lose before the finals. How many would’ve had the courage to predict that based on them both making the final for Barcelona.
I’m humble, I’m just saying, get your facts right before criticizing otherwise your just being dishonest (AGAIN) which seems to be a common trend with people from your country.
You’re a clueless idiot and your posts are so unintellectually stimulating I never waste my time reading them.
But you did read them! Lol! You answered my posts! You could have ignored them. But you didn’t. Can’t take it.
You mouth off at others here and give e yourself airs! Yet you bristle when you are called out! You are rude, petty and an ignoramus.
The fact that you keep bringing up my country, which has precisely nothing to go with our discussions about tennis, shoes that you are prejudiced, biased and narrow minded.
Now I might suggest you stop reading my comments, since they seem to hurt your tender sensibilities and inflated sense of self importance!
Zverev too good for Nadal at Madrid.. but Rafa was definitely below par.. Rome would give a better indication of where he stands.
Rafa struggles again against top 10 competition
I thought Rafa might well lose.
It’s a bit of a stretch to say he can’t play against the top 10 though!
Zverev is becoming a problem for Rafa.
Did not say he cant play.. of course he can but he struggles against the top 10
He only bagelled Nole 6 months ago!!
I can’t watch any tennis until RG so hard to comment.
One year makes a huge difference and the circumstances are very different. Nadal is playing many more tournaments so he will most likely not peak for RG based on what Ive been saying all along.
Pay attention you might learn something.
amy,
I agree, it is a stretch to say he can’t play against the top ten anymore. He beat Tsitsipas in Bercelona.
I didn’t watch. But apparently he was serving for 5-2 and started serving badly.
This problem with his serve is becoming a recurrent theme. When it starts misfiring he loses confidence in his whole game.
Gilbert said he noticed Rafa had changed his serve action at the AO after he hurt his back and commented at Barcelona that he was still serving differently. So is there an underlying back problem still? Why otherwise would be continue with a different service action??!
I can’t see any tennis until RG so I have no idea what is going on. Thoughts please dear fellow long-term suffering Rafa fans?
I am actually cheered up to read he was out playing Zverev in the early part of the match.
amy,
He started having problems again in this match with the serve. I don’t know what is going on. But when the serve doesn’t work then the rest of his game doesn’t work. He was playing well in the first set. He got the break but then gave it right back. From that point on I thought his level started to drop. Zverev stole the set from him, something Rafa does to his opponents.
The serve was working in the Barcelona final. Rafa played some of his best tennis in that match. I thought it would carry over into this tournament. But with the conditions, he seemed to regress. I a, nit going to speculate about any lingering back issue because I just don’t know.
We will have to see his he looks in Rome. Then we will know if we need to worry,
Thanks nny! It’s hard to comment when I can’t watch. But Gilbert has been mentioning the change in his service action and that must be difficult for him regardless.ie he has to think about it rather than be instinctive. That’s very bad for Rafa.
Thanks for your replies and insight nny!😊😊
amy,
I haven’t watched Rafa’s service motion. I do think it’s a problem when he has to think about serving. It should be instinctive, otherwise it is a distraction from his game.
He did serve very well in the Barcelona final. We know the conditions in Madrid have never been ideal for Rafa. But he seems to still struggle with the serve. I thought it was key in the first set when Rafa got the break. Zverev looked shaky. He double faulted away the break. Then Rafa came out and was broken right back. I thought things changed after that.
Rafa was playing well early on, but his inability to serve well caused him to lose focus.
Knew this would happen..not surprised .Madrid clay he has struggled most due to conditions ..
Rome will be a good barometer
However looking very vulnerable for RG to be honest
Rafa wont be top 2 at the french it seems since meddy has no points to lose and rafa cant gain enough at rome.. so rafole semi could be possible
Yes but he avoids thiem for sure n can luckily fall in Medvedev half hehe
The qf will be key..tsitsipas zverev rublev…all will be tough..I rather he play rublev than other 2
All the youngsters seem to be playing this way, ie hitting as hard as possible, these days – Zverev, Rublev, Sinner, Popyrin, Alcaraz, etc. Even the all rounder Tsitsipas can hit hard with depth too, Medvedev also.
Rafa standing way back, and lacking power on his groundstrokes these days, will have problems facing these youngsters. Moreover, these youngsters all come with big powerful serves. Rafa’s own serve is not helping him either.
Rafa has to move forward into the court to take time away from these hard hitters; he standing way back is not going to work against them. His shots tend to land short, giving his opponent chances to step forward to control the court.
Rafa can have early leads and then serves badly to lose the advantage, it’s being a recurring problem; hope Moya could help him address the problem.
Rafa is winning more of the shorter exchanges rather than the longer rallies, another sign that he ought to step forward and shorten the points instead of engaging in long rallies with these hard hitters.
The young players, apart from Dom, aren’t consistent.
Zverev often loses. Tsitsi just lost in straights to Rudd. Any of them, apart from Dom, could go out before the quarters at RG.
amy,
I agree with you. Inconsistency is the issue with the young guys. You are right that any of them could go out before the quarterfinals at RG.
The top three have demonstrated consistency especially at the slams.
I should clarify that I mean Rafa, Fed and Novak when I say the top three. Fed has been out so his ranking has gone down. But they are the best of the best, always.