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In what promises to be a mouthwatering quarter-final clash between the two veterans of the game, 19-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will take on the home favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the final Masters 1000 event of the year at Paris Masters 2019.
Chasing his first-ever title at Paris Masters this year and after having clinched convincing straight-sets victories over Adrian Mannarino and Stan Wawrinka in his opening couple of rounds, the Spaniard appears to be on song so far in the tournament.
Tsonga, who succumbed in his opening round at Paris Masters in 2017 as well as in 2018, has put on a much-improved show so far this year and has overcome the likes of Andrey Rublev and Matteo Berrettini en route his journey towards the quarter-final in his home tournament.
Having won this tournament back in 2008 and after finishing as a runner-up in 2011, Tsonga has had some decent amount of success at the Paris Masters, while throughout the rest of his career, he has been a notable underachiever of his generation.
On the ATP tour so far, Nadal leads Tsonga 9-4 and was the victor in the pair’s most recent meeting too, where he toppled the Frenchman in straight sets at Wimbledon earlier this year. In their only clash in the history of Paris Masters 1000 so far, it was the Spaniard who got better of Tsonga, edging past the Frenchman 7-5, 7-5 in the quarter-final in the 2009 edition of the event.
Three of Tsonga's four wins against Nadal have been on the hard courts and in their upcoming quarter-final clash, the Frenchman will once again start as the underdog and has nothing to lose against the 33-year old Spaniard, which is what makes the former even more dangerous.
After an exhausting season North American hard court season which saw Nadal win his 19th Major at this year’s US Open and having come through his wrist injury, the Spaniard once again appears to be hungry and after such a positive start to the tournament. He will look forward to consolidating his lead against Tsonga, to remain in contention to triumph for the first time at Paris Masters 1000.
On the other hand, after having beaten the young, in-form and promising stars like Rublev and Berrettini in his earlier rounds, Tsonga would aim to make this opportunity count as he hopes to cause a major upset in an attempt to record his biggest win so far of this season.
Against Nadal, who is in roaring form, Tsonga would need to play inspired, intense and gutsy tennis to send shivers down the spine of the Spaniard. As far as Nadal is concerned, with an experienced Tsonga on the other side of the net, there is no room for complacency, as the Frenchman, on his day, has the potential to be at his devastating best which can hurt the Spaniard.
In an intriguing quarter-final clash, can Nadal down the home hope Tsonga to move a step closer towards winning his maiden title at Paris Masters 1000 or will Tsonga, drawing inspiration from his sensational win over the Spaniard in the semi-finals of Australian Open 2008, exhibit a stellar performance to upset the 19-time Grand Slam champion?
Let the action get underway on the quarterfinal Friday as Nadal and Tsonga battle for a spot in the semi-finals of the Paris Masters 1000!
Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in straight sets.
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