"Taylor’s coming in with a ton of confidence on the grass, it’s going to be a good battle & I hope he comes out as the winner" - Taylor Fritz's coach ahead of his Wimbledon quarterfinal against Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal and Taylor Fritz are gearing up for their third meeting on Wednesday as the 2022 Wimbledon Championships nears its climax. Although it's a clash between a seasoned veteran playing his 47th Major quarterfinal and a prodigy playing his first, the result could go either way.

Fighting for a spot in the semifinals, the two players will battle it out on Centre Court and one of them will meet the winner of the other quarterfinal between Nick Kyrgios and Cristian Garin.

In their previous two meetings, Nadal and Fritz have taken one match apiece. The 2020 Mexican Open saw the Spaniard beat the American in the title clash, while the 2022 Indian Wells final produced the opposite result as 14th-ranked Fritz lifted his first ATP Masters 1000 title.

Ahead of their third match, Fritz's coach Michael Russell spoke to the ATP and gave his thoughts on the upcoming clash. Russell stated that 11th seed Fritz is going into the encounter with a lot of confidence, as he recently won a tournament in Eastbourne and hasn't dropped a set in his four Wimbledon matches this year.

"Rafa is one of the fittest players on Tour and obviously he’s won the most Grand Slam titles, so he’s going to have a ton of confidence. But at the same time, Taylor’s coming in with a ton of confidence on the grass, winning Eastbourne and four straight matches here without losing a set. I’m just looking forward to it. It’s going to be a good battle and of course, I hope Taylor comes out on the other side as the winner," Russell said.

He further commented on the importance of his pupil's win over Rafael Nadal in the Indian Wells final earlier this year.

That was a huge confidence booster, to have that win in his belt, in a final on such a big occasion. He needs to use that confidence and belief when he steps on court today," Russell added.

Rafael Nadal is still in contention for the Calendar Slam

Rafael Nadal is yet to lose a match at the Majors this year

Rafael Nadal, who beat Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets to reach the last-eight of Wimbledon, is eyeing his third grass-court and 23rd Grand Slam title. This is the first time in his career that the Spaniard has won the Australian and French Open in the same year, and if he emerges victorious in London this week, he will have a crack at the Calendar Slam in the US later this year.

Nadal has also reached at least the quarterfinal stage in the last 16 Grand Slam tournaments that he has participated in. His last pre-quarterfinal defeat came at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships when Gilles Muller beat him in the fourth round.