Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev: 3 things to expect from the Davis Cup clash
Rafael Nadal will square off against Alexander Zverev in a crucial Davis Cup tie tomorrow. With Nadal coming back from injury, he will have to be at his best to beat the German. Zverev has been in fine form, reaching the finals of the Miami Open and comfortably defeating David Ferrer in his opening Davis Cup tie.
The 16-time Major winner has played the German on three occasions and has won all of them. Here are three things to expect from the clash:
#3 Nadal's Forehand against Zverev's Backhand
Rafael Nadal has not played on tour since retiring at the Australian Open in January but looking at his performance against Philipp Kohlschreiber, it is hard to fathom that the Spaniard was out for 3 months.
During his win against the German, the forehand did a lot of damage and moved Kohlschreiber around the court. With Nadal's forehand hitting the mark, Zverev needs to be cautious and not give him too many short balls to hit. The World No. 4 has one of the most powerful double-handed backhands and can create some amazing angles, as seen during the Miami Open.
The battle between Nadal's forehand and Zverev's backhand will all boil down to who continuously hits the spots. Nadal has shown in a lot of clashes against Federer that he can keep hitting to one side and break down the opponent's game but Zverev is a completely different player and can keep attacking with his backhand. The one with fewer errors off their stronger wing will come out on top.