Indian Wells 2022: Rafael Nadal vs Dan Evans preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (4) Rafael Nadal vs (27) Dan Evans.

Date: 14 March 2022.

Tournament: BNP Paribas Open.

Round: Third round (Round of 32).

Venue: Indian Wells, USA.

Category: ATP Masters 1000.

Surface: Hardcourt.

Prize money: $8,584,055.

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Voot.

Rafael Nadal vs Dan Evans preview

21-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will take on Dan Evans in the third round of the 2022 Indian Wells Masters on Monday.

Nadal was thoroughly tested by Sebastian Korda in his second-round match on Saturday. The Spaniard started off strongly, winning the opening set 6-2. But Korda stepped up his game to claim the second set 6-1.

Korda raced to a 5-2 lead in the decider, but Nadal staged a spirited fightback and won the next four games. The American held serve to force a tie-break, but the former World No. 1 prevailed 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(3) in the end.

Dan Evans at the 2022 Indian Wells Masters

Dan Evans had no difficulty getting past Federico Coria in his second-round match at Indian Wells, winning 6-2, 6-0.

The Brit made a strong start to the season by winning all three of his ATP Cup group ties and reaching the semifinals in Sydney.

At the Australian Open, Evans lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round. The 31-year-old didn't fare well during the Middle East swing, losing in the second round in Qatar while failing to get past the first round in Dubai.

By reaching the third round at Indian Wells, Evans has matched his best result in the Masters 1000 event.

Rafael Nadal vs Dan Evans head-to-head

Nadal has won both of his previous matches against Evans to lead 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their most recent encounter in straight sets in the 2019 Davis Cup Finals.

Rafael Nadal vs Dan Evans prediction

Nadal at the 2022 Abierto Mexicano Telcel

Despite the contrasting nature of their wins in the previous round, Nadal will be the clear favorite heading into this encounter.

Nadal and Evans employ differing playing styles. The Brit relies on a counter-punching game, moving his opponents all over the court. However, Spaniard has excellent court coverage, so that tactic might not prove too effective.

Nadal will use his powerful groundstrokes to push Evans behind the baseline and the Brit might find it difficult to counter the Spaniard's heavy forehand.

Nadal definitely has some work to do following his performance in the previous round, but is likely to get past his British opponent without too much fuss.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in straight sets.

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.

Know More

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Edited by Nihal Taraporvala

Indian Wells 2022: Rafael Nadal vs Dan Evans preview, head-to-head & prediction | BNP Paribas Open

Match details

Rafael Nadal vs Dan Evans preview

Rafael Nadal vs Dan Evans head-to-head

Rafael Nadal vs Dan Evans prediction