Australian Open 2022: Rafael Nadal vs Denis Shapovalov preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (6) Rafael Nadal vs (14) Denis Shapovalov

Date: 25 January 2022

Tournament: Australian Open 2022

Round: Quarterfinal

Venue: Melbourne, Australia

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt

Match timing: 2.30 p.m. local time, 3.30 a.m. GMT, 9 a.m. IST

Prize money: $75,000,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Liv

Rafael Nadal vs Denis Shapovalov preview

Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Australian Open

20-time Major champion Rafael Nadal and 14th seed Denis Shapovalov have set up an exciting quarterfinal showdown at the 2022 Australian Open on Tuesday.

Nadal played a brilliant match to defeat Adrian Mannarino 7-6(14), 6-2, 6-2 in the fourth round. The first set saw both players holding serve until the tie-break, which the Spaniard won 16-14 after 28 minutes. Both players had multiple set points during the tie-break, but the former World No. 1 held his nerve to prevail.

The next two sets were relatively one-sided as Nadal stepped up his level considerably to win the match. He's now just three wins away from a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title and a second Australian Open crown.

Denis Shapovalov at the 2022 Australian Open

Denis Shapovalov upset third seed Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals. It was the Canadian's shortest match and first straight-sets victory of the tournament.

He was engaged in a lengthy five-set marathon in the second round and played four-set matches in the other two rounds. The World No. 3 was the favorite heading into this match, but the Canadian did well to turn the tables on his opponent.

This is Shapovalov's first quarterfinal at the Australian Open and third at a Grand Slam. He was instrumental in leading Canada to their maiden ATP Cup title at the start of the year and has brought his winning momentum into the Melbourne Major.

Rafael Nadal vs Denis Shapovalov head-to-head

The pair have met four times before, with Nadal leading the head-to-head 3-1. He won their most recent encounter at last year's Italian Open 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3).

Rafael Nadal vs Denis Shapovalov prediction

Given how they've played in the tournament so far, Nadal will enter the contest as the favorite. He is undefeated so far, having won the Melbourne Summer Set prior to the Australian Open.

The Spaniard played an amazing match in the previous round, hitting 42 winners compared to just 22 unforced errors. He also served 16 aces.

While Shapovalov did well to upset Zverev, his stats were not particularly impressive. His serve didn't work too well for him, hitting 11 doubles faults and just three aces. However, the Canadian has put up a fight against the former World No. 1 in the past, so one cannot discount him completely.

Nadal is getting better with every match and the motivation to win a 21st Major will push him to give his best. Expect the Spaniard to move another step closer to history.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in four sets.

Also check out: Complete Australian Open 2022 results

About the author

Rohit is a journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in covering tennis. Having been with the company for three years, he has proven himself as a formidable force in the field. With a Master's degree in law, Rohit brings his analytical and research skills to the forefront as a journalist. He stays on top of the game by using social media platforms and never misses a match for on-court insights. He values giving credit where it's due, keeping his reporting fair and accurate.

At the outset of his career, Rohit found his niche in writing previews and SEO pieces and it's this expertise that continues to define his role at Sportskeeda. He is particularly proud of one article that garnered an impressive 750k views and surpassed his "wildest dreams." Rohit is not particularly fond of (GOAT) debates and it is one of the reasons why he left the legal world behind. He prefers to view players in "tiers," where they're all esteemed to an extent. However, if pressed to name favorites, he would choose Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams sisters' journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of tennis has been his greatest source of inspiration.

When he isn't busy making spot-on predictions about match outcomes, Rohit likes reading, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, and comics. As an X-Men fanatic, he's also passionate about board games and enjoys watching movies in his spare time. And don't be surprised if you catch him silently wishing to the tennis gods for the removal of ad scoring from doubles.

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Edited by Nihal Taraporvala