Australian Open 2021: Rafael Nadal vs Michael Mmoh preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (2) Rafael Nadal vs Michael Mmoh
Date: 11 February 2021
Tournament: Australian Open 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: AUD $80 million
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | India - Sony Ten Network / Sony Liv Premium
Rafael Nadal vs Michael Mmoh preview
World No. 2 and 2009 champion Rafael Nadal will face up-and-coming American Michael Mmoh on Thursday, in the second round of the 2021 Australian Open.
There have been several concerns regarding Nadal's fitness ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year. And the Spanish legend himself opened up last week about the back issues that were hurting his preparations for the Australian Open.
That said, Nadal showed minimal signs of discomfort in his opening-round win over Laslo Djere. The Spaniard raced to an early lead in the opening set before Djere threatened to level the score, but Nadal held his nerve to serve it out and eventually sealed the match in straight sets.
Nadal's next opponent, America's Michael Mmoh, had to endure a five-set marathon against veteran Viktor Troicki to progress to the second round. This is Mmoh's second consecutive second-round appearance at the Australian Open.
The 23-year-old was down two sets to one against Troicki but showed incredible fighting spirit to stage a comeback in the fourth and fifth sets, both of which were contested tightly.
Rafael Nadal vs Michael Mmoh head-to-head
This will be the first-ever career meeting between Rafael Nadal and Michael Mmoh, so their head-to-head record currently stands at 0-0.
Rafael Nadal vs Michael Mmoh prediction
The biggest concern about Rafael Nadal's game, owing to his back issues, has been his serve.
That showed in the Spaniard's opening match on Tuesday, as his average first serve speed was down to 176 kmph. But Nadal made up for that by amping up the aggression on his groundstrokes, especially on the forehand side.
On paper, Michael Mmoh is not exactly the kind of opponent one would expect to cash in on Nadal's compromised serve. The American's returning ability is slightly below-par, so he relies on his quick and aggressive groundstrokes to stay afloat in his matches.
Mmoh would have to try and outhit Nadal from the back of the court — a tried-and-tested strategy that has often failed. But with only three Grand Slam main draw match wins so far, the youngster would be eager to grab this opportunity and make a statement against the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
Even if Mmoh does produce a fight though, Nadal has enough in his armory to get a win on Thursday.
Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in straight sets.