Barcelona Open 2024: Alex di Minaur vs Rafael Nadal preview, head-to-head, prediction, live streaming details

Published at :April 17, 2024 at 2:05 PM

Modified at :April 17, 2024 at 2:07 PM

(Courtesy : Canberra Times/HT)

This is the fifth meeting between both players.

In his first taste of clay court action since lifting an unprecedented 14th French Open crown nearly two years ago, Rafael Nadal kicked off his road to Roland Garros with a routine 6-2, 6-3 victory over Italian Flavio Cobolli in the opening round of the Barcelona Open 2024 on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old Spanish legend, chasing a mind-boggling 13th Barcelona title, looked sharp in dismissing the rising 21-year-old after a three-week training block on the dirt ahead of his return to the tournament he has dominated like no other.

His first challenge safely navigated, the road grows substantially steeper on Wednesday when Nadal faces an in-form Alex de Minaur, the tournament’s fourth seed. The 25-year-old Australian, who received an opening-round bye, has been one of the ATP Tour’s hottest players in 2024, winning a title in Acapulco.

Alex di Minaur vs Rafael Nadal match details

Date: April 17, Wednesday.

Time: 7:30 PM (IST)

Venue: Real Club De Barcelona, Barcelona

Alex di Minaur vs Rafael Nadal preview

Fresh off a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory over Flavio Cobolli in his opening match at the Barcelona Open, Rafael Nadal will face a stiff challenge in the form of an in-form Alex de Minaur on Wednesday.

Nadal has struggled with injuries that have kept him sidelined for long stretches. In contrast, De Minaur has soared, breaking into the world’s top 10 for the first time in his career earlier this year.

Currently ranked No. 11, the red-hot Aussie has compiled an impressive 22-7 record in 2024, including titles in Acapulco and a runner-up finish in Rotterdam. He arrives in Barcelona on the heels of a quarter-final run in Monte Carlo last week.

De Minaur has won multiple matches at seven of the eight tournaments he has entered this season, displaying a level of consistency that could pose a serious threat to Nadal’s Barcelona reign.

Head-to-head records

Matches – 4

Alex Di Minaur – 1

Rafael Nadal– 3

Nadal holds a 3-1 advantage in their overall head-to-head meetings. The recent win between the two players favors the upstart De Minaur. Their lone encounter since 2020 went the Australian’s way, with the 25-year-old scoring an impressive 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory over Nadal at last year’s United Cup team event.

Where and how to watch the live streaming and TV broadcast of Alex di Minaur vs Rafael Nadal, Barcelona Open 2024 match in India?

The clash between the duo will be live streamed on Tennis TV uninterrupted coverage to Indian viewers. However, there won’t be a live telecast for the ATP 500 event.

Prediction

Though the statistics and recent form point towards an increasingly confident and dangerous Alex de Minaur, the raw numbers fail to account for Rafael Nadal’s aura of invincibility on the red clay of Barcelona, where he has reigned supreme a hardly believable 12 times.

De Minaur’s 22-7 record in 2024, evidenced by a title in Acapulco and a current career-high ranking of 11, makes a formidable case for the 25-year-old. His superior return stats of late, winning 54.71% of second-serve points compared to Nadal’s 56.16%, could also unsettle Rafael Nadal.

However, the 37-year-old’s ability to win in the biggest moments, saving 71.43% of break points faced recently, cannot be discounted.

While De Minaur’s good form and last year’s victory over Nadal at the United Cup loom large, the intangibles of the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s dominance in Barcelona should prove decisive in the crucible of a deciding set.

Result: Rafael Nadal to win in three sets

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