Australian Open 2022: Rafael Nadal vs Karen Khachanov preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (6) Rafael Nadal vs (28) Karen Khachanov.

Date: 21 January 2022.

Tournament: Australian Open 2022.

Round: Third round (Round of 32).

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.

Rafael Nadal vs Karen Khachanov preview

Sixth seed Rafael Nadal will lock horns with 28th seed Karen Khachanov in the third round of the 2022 Australian Open on Friday.

Nadal continued his quest for a second Australian Open and 21st Grand Slam title with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 second-round win over qualifier Yannick Hanfmann. He played quite well and remained in control throughout the match.

Hanfmann did put up a fight from time to time, especially towards the end, and the Spaniard needed five match points to close out the proceedings.

Rafa rolls on 💪

🇪🇸 @RafaelNadal puts in a top performance to move past Yannick Hanfmann 6-2 6-3 6-4.

#AusOpen • #AO2022
🎥: @wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis https://t.co/MjWumk2z27

Nadal was a little sloppy at times as he hit five double faults against Hanfmann and won just four of his 16 break points. Against better opposition, missing out on so many opportunities could prove to be costly.

But as is often the case, players improve as they travel deeper into a tournament. Nadal's experience makes him even more dangerous as the Australian Open progresses.

Meanwhile, Khachanov played a great match to defeat Benjamin Bonzi 6-4, 6-0, 7-5 and reach the third round at the Australian Open for a fourth straight time. The Russian has never progressed beyond this stage and will hope to break that trend on Friday.

😤😤

@karenkhachanov defeats Benjamin Bonzi 6-4, 6-0, 7-5 in his R2 match 👏

Who's ready for Khachanov vs Nadal? 🍿

#AusOpen | #AO2022 https://t.co/7ZMzj6YRCL

The Russian has played quite well so far in 2022, reaching the finals and quarterfinals of the two warm-up events prior to the season's first Grand Slam. Khachanov will aim to continue his good string of results, but given his next opponent, it might prove to be an uphill task.

Rafael Nadal vs Karen Khachanov head-to-head

The two have played each other seven times before this, with Nadal leading 7-0 in the head-to-head. He won their last encounter 6-3, 7-6 (7) during the round-robin stage of the 2019 Davis Cup.

Rafael Nadal vs Karen Khachanov prediction

Given their lopsided head-to-head, Nadal will certainly be the favorite to win this match. But both individuals have played quite well so far in the tournament.

Khachanov is certainly serving a bit better than the former World No. 1 at the moment but Nadal has looked good in every other aspect of his game. His movement has looked sharp and his forehand has packed quite a punch this week.

The Spaniard has a lot on the line for him in this tournament and that will certainly motivate him to play even better. Khachanov has won only one set in their seven meetings, so it will be a tough task for him to win three in a single match.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in four sets.

Also Checkout : Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic Head to Head Stats