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Match details
Fixture: (2) Rafael Nadal vs (1) Novak Djokovic
Date: 16 May 2021
Tournament: Internazionali BNL d'italia 2021
Round: Final
Venue: Rome, Italy
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €2,082,960
Match timing: Not before 5 pm local time, 3 pm GMT, 11 am EST, 8.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Youtube: TennisTV
Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic preview
Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal takes on defending champion and top seed Novak Djokovic in the final of the Italian Open on Sunday.
Nadal's start to the clay season was shaky, as he lost to Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Masters respectively. The Spaniard did, however, pick up the title in Barcelona between those two losses.
Nadal has played himself into both form and fitness in Rome this week. The World No. 3 had to get past a tricky third-round encounter against Denis Shapovalov in which he had to overturn a set and a break deficit (as well as multiple match points), and he hasn't looked back since.
Nadal went on to defeat Zverev and Reilly Opelka in routine straight-setters to set up a sixth final in Rome against Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic, much like his opponent, got his clay season off to a nervy start. The Serb returned to the tour in Monte Carlo after a two-month break, but lost in the third round against Dan Evans. He was then defeated by Aslan Karatsev in the semifinals of his home tournament in Belgrade.
Djokovic's run this week has been far from straightforward. The World No. 1 battled Stefanos Tsitsipas in a difficult three-set encounter over two days in the quarterfinals. Then on the same day, he outlasted local favorite Lorenzo Sonego in a semifinal that lasted over two and a half hours.
Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic head-to-head
The final of the 2021 Italian Open is the 57th meeting between the legendary pair, and Novak Djokovic narrowly leads the head-to-head 29-27 over Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard does, however, lead 18-7 in their meetings on clay. He has also defeated Djokovic in each of their last four matches on the surface, including the 2019 Rome Masters final and the 2020 Roland Garros final.
Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic prediction
Coming into the final much better rested than his opponent, and with recent history on clay in his favor, Rafael Nadal will undoubtedly be fancying his chances of winning his first Masters 1000 title since the 2019 Rogers Cup on Sunday.
The Spaniard's game has only grown from strength to strength during the clay season. His groundstrokes are now finding plenty of depth, and his serving numbers are improving with each passing day.
Novak Djokovic, on his part, has looked like a man on a mission this week in Rome. Despite not having much claycourt match practice under his belt, the Serb got through back-to-back testing encounters on Saturday, using his reliable serve and incredible defense to outlast his opponents.
Nadal's first-serve rate has improved drastically over the last few matches, but the Serb will look to exploit any lapses in that area with his GOAT-level return. The Spaniard, on his part, will look to pounce on any signs of mental and physical fatigue from Djokovic, and try to put pressure on him from the back of the court.
The patterns of the crosscourt exchanges between Nadal's forehand and Djokovic's backhand may also have the potential to decide the outcome of this match.
Nadal and Djokovic's hunger to compete for the biggest prizes in the sport has been on full display this week. And that has added a special layer of intrigue to the latest edition of one of the greatest rivalries in tennis history.
That said, fatigue may well play spoilsport for Djokovic on Sunday. The 33-year-old spent over five hours on court on Saturday, which would give Nadal an automatic advantage.
It goes without saying, however, that Djokovic is unlikely to go down without a fight.
Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in three sets.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
