Italian Open 2022: 3 things that could determine the outcome of Rafael Nadal's 2R match against John Isner

Nadal enjoys a much superior head-to-head record against Isner

Third seed Rafael Nadal will face big-serving American John Isner in the second round of the Italian Open on Wednesday. The 10-time champion will be looking to bounce back after a quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid last week.

Nadal has a 7-1 lead in the head-to-head against the 37-year-old American and has won each of their previous four encounters on clay. However, Isner did push the Spaniard to five sets in their Roland Garros clash several years ago.

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On that note, here's a look at three factors that might determine the outcome of the match:

#1 Can Isner's attack hold up against Nadal's stellar defense?

Isner is an attacking player and likes to put his opponents under pressure from the back of the court. In his first-round match against Francisco Cerundolo, Isner managed to hit 31 winners, although plenty of those were aces.

Hitting through Nadal will be a much tougher task though. The Spaniard may have lost some speed over the years but he is still incredibly quick around the court and fights for every point. The conditions in Rome are quite slow and Isner could have a hard time hitting outright winners.

#2 Isner's monstrous first serve

Isner's serve is among the biggest in world tennis

Isner has one of the biggest serves in world tennis and gains easy points against most opponents. He fired 13 aces against Cerundolo and will need more of the same against Nadal.

That might be a tall order though. The Spaniard stands quite far behind the baseline to return serve and will undoubtedly make plenty of balls. Thus, Isner will likely have to serve-and-volley on quite a few occasions if he is to finish off the points quickly.

#3 Nadal's versatility

Isner is not the greatest of movers, especially on clay, and Nadal will undoubtedly test the American's court coverage by generating sharp angles and also using drop shots.

The Spaniard will probably look to force Isner deep into his backhand corner before pulling the trigger with his trademark down-the-line forehand. Nadal also has the ability to hit low and off-pace slices to disrupt the American's rhythm.

Also Check Out :-Italian Open 2022 Schedule