2019 Wimbledon Championships – Yuichi Sugita vs Rafael Nadal Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Yuichi Sugita vs Rafael Nadal taking place? All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London
When is Yuichi Sugita vs Rafael Nadal on and what time does it start? Tuesday 2nd July, 2019 – (not before) 11:00 (UK)
What is the expected weather for Yuichi Sugita vs Rafael Nadal? Sunny spells with a temperature of 20c
What channel is Yuichi Sugita vs Rafael Nadal on? Matches will air on BBC1, BBC2 and BBC Red Button throughout the tournament
Where can I stream Yuichi Sugita vs Rafael Nadal? BBC iPlayer / BBC Sport website / BBC Sport app
Where can I get tickets for Yuichi Sugita vs Rafael Nadal?
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THE LOWDOWN
HEAD-TO-HEAD
All-time meetings: N/A
Last meeting: N/A
YUICHI SUGITA
- 30-year-old Yuichi Sugita is ranked at 274 in the world right now but has been as high as 36 back in 2017 and has some decent grass practice under his belt coming into his first-round match against Rafael Nadal.
- The Japanese has lost in the second round of his last three Challenger events, all grass events in Great Britain, but made it past Lukas Rosol in the qualifiers to make the cut.
- Sugita made his first Wimbledon appearance back in 2014 and reached his best-ever showing of a second-round match in 2017 where he lost in five sets to Adrian Mannarino.
RAFAEL NADAL
- Rafael Nadal won his 12th Roland-Garros last month in a tough final with Dominic Thiem which was his last professional match.
- The world number two will be seeded at three behind Roger Federer and world number one Novak Djokovic and he has not reached the finals at Wimbledon since 2011.
- A five-year period of inconsistency at Wimbledon where he was plagued by injuries and beaten by inferior players ended last year with a blockbuster semi-final with eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
THE PREDICTION
Yuichi Sugita will be easy-pickings for Rafael Nadal as the Spaniard comes to Wimbledon in search of his third Grand Slam title on grass. However, the Japanese could frustrate a potentially rusty Nadal throughout as the world number two finds his feet at a tournament he has had a mixed relationship with over the years. There is only one outcome here though, and it could be over before Sugita knows it.
