Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal Preview & Prediction | 2024 Italian Open | Second Round
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THE FACTS
What is this tournament classed as in terms of ranking points? ATP 1000
When is Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal on and what time does it start? Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal will take place on Saturday 11th May, 2024 – not before 12:00 (UK)
Where is Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal taking place? Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal will take place at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy
What surface is Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal being played on? Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal will take place on an outdoor clay court
Where can I get tickets for Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal
What channel is Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal on in the UK? Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal will be televised live on Sky Sports in the UK
Where can I stream Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal in the UK? Sky Sports subscribers can stream Hubert Hurkacz vs Rafael Nadal live on Sky Go, while Tennis TV subscribers can also stream the match live
THE PREDICTION
Former world number one and 10-time Italian Open champion Rafael Nadal came back from a shaky start to beat impressive qualifier Zizou Bergs on Thursday. The 37-year-old has signalled his intention to retire at Roland-Garros this summer, be that at the French Open or in the Paris Olympics, and he will be desperate to gather as much form as he can ahead of his return to that spiritual home of which he is the insurmountable record-holding 14-time champion.
This is a really tough test for the Spaniard, however, as world number nine Hubert Hurkacz’s pinpoint serve seems to have found its groove on his weakest clay in recent weeks. The 27-year-old completed his surfaces set with a first clay title claimed at the Estoril Open last month and he has needed the likes of Monte-Carlo runner-up Casper Ruud and Madrid 12th seed Taylor Fritz to oust him from his last two tournaments.
Nadal will certainly need to improve on yesterday’s performance to have any chance of edging past Hurkacz, with tiebreaks likely required, but if he can find the level that saw him dismantle Alex de Minaur two weeks ago in Madrid he stands a solid chance at a first top 10 win since beating Ruud at the ATP Finals in late 2022. Take this first encounter between the two to see at least one tiebreak to leave the victor up to chance.
TIP: OVER 0.5 TIEBREAKS
