ATP Cup 2020 – Alex de Minaur vs Rafael Nadal Preview & Prediction

THE FACTS

Where is Alex de Minaur vs Rafael Nadal taking place? Ken Rosewall Arena, Sydney, Australia

When is Alex de Minaur vs Rafael Nadal on? Saturday 11^th January, 2020 – not before 08:30 (UK)

What channel is Alex de Minaur vs Rafael Nadal on? This match will not be televised live in the UK

Where can I stream Alex de Minaur vs Rafael Nadal? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream the match via Amazon Prime Video

Where can I get tickets for Alex de Minaur vs Rafael Nadal? https://www.atpcup.com/tickets

Who won the last meeting between Alex de Minaur and Rafael Nadal? Rafael Nadal beat Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-2, 6-4

THE LOWDOWN

ALEX DE MINAUR

• Alex de Minaur lost to Great Britain’s Dan Evans in one of the more spectacular tennis matches you will see this year, coming back from a set down only to lose in a deciding tiebreak.
• The last laugh was De Minaur’s, however, as he recovered to face Team GB’s Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury alongside compatriot Nick Kyrgios, with the Aussie pair eventually claiming the deciding championship tiebreak 18-16.
• That doubles pairing could well prove vital in the ATP Cup hosts’ tie with pre-tournament favourites Spain, especially as Alex de Minaur will be facing the world number one Rafael Nadal to whom he has lost both previous meetings.

RAFAEL NADAL

• Rafael Nadal looked uncomfortable in his match against Belgium’s David Goffin as the move in humidity from Group B’s base in Perth to the latter stages in Sydney appeared to challenge him throughout a shock straight-sets defeat to the admittedly excellent Belgian.
• Nadal looked better off in his doubles match to decide the tie alongside Pablo Carreno Busta and the pair eventually came through a high-quality match via the championship tiebreak to win their second match of two here together.
• The 33-year-old world number one last played young Alex de Minaur almost exactly a year ago in the third round of the Australian Open, beating him 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, which is the same scoreline by which he defeated him at the previous Wimbledon (2018), also in the third round.

THE PREDICTION

There will be plenty of Australian fans supporting their young and rising star Alex de Minaur as he comes into one of the, if not the biggest, match of his blossoming career. While Rafael Nadal’s defeat by David Goffin proves he is human, it should not be taken lightly. Using Dan Evans as a yardstick here, who beat both Nadal’s conqueror, Goffin, and De Minaur in the quarter-finals, it is more apt to expect Nadal to bounce back from a bad day with a win here. The Spaniard is unlikely to play anywhere near the way he did on court in the quarter-finals, with the immediate doubles decider a useful arena to iron out some issues.

Yes, Alex de Minaur could take a set off the Spaniard but, assuming Nick Kyrgios edges past a battler like Roberto Bautista Agut, this should end up a Nadal win. It is the doubles where this tie hangs in the balance, and all the unaccountable, immeasurable sporting fates seem to be on the Australian’s side at this tournament.