Roland Garros LIVE: Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev

Roland Garros LIVE: Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev will tackle the toughest challenge in tennis when he meets 13-time French Open champion, Rafael Nadal, for a spot in the Roland-Garros final.

Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev (From 14:45)

Match preview

The two men have not locked horns since 2021 in Rome, when Nadal secured a 6-3, 6-4 triumph. 

Nadal also holds a 6-3 edge in the head-to-head rivalry with Zverev, but the German has won three of their past four clashes.

Of the four men remaining in the hunt for the French Open title Zverev ranks last in second serve points won by some distance.

Zverev has won just 50 per cent of points behind his second offering through five matches. 

Nadal meanwhile has been torrid against his opponent’s second serve, winning just 58 percent of such points as he has swept through 42 per cent of his return games.

If Zverev is to avoid constant pressure on his serve he must first, make a high percentage of first serves. Zverev has done that effectively through five matches in Paris, hitting the mark on 68 per cent of his first deliveries.

Secondly, Zverev must find a way to win at least half of his second-serve points. 

In doing this he will also have to keep his double-fault tally low.

Service errors have been a thorn in the German’s side for several seasons, and nothing has changed in Paris. Zverev leads all remaining men’s contenders with 27 double faults in five matches. 

He has even lost his temper with his technical team when his serve has malfunctioned, suggesting that hours of work go into getting his radar right.

Much of the talk coming into the tournament centred around Nadal’s fitness, due to left foot issues that surfaced during his round of 16 loss to Denis Shapovalov in Rome.

So Far Nadal seems alright from a fitness point of view.