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Match details
Fixture: Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta
Date: 6 November 2020
Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters 2020
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Paris, France
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €3,901,015
Match timing: Not Before 6.30 pm local time, 11 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six / Sony Liv
Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta preview
Rafael Nadal’s pursuit of a maiden Paris Masters title continues in the wake of his impressive win against Jordan Thompson in the third round on Thursday. In the quarterfinals on Friday, the Mallorcan will lock horns with compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta.
Nadal looked more at ease against Thompson after successfully achieving the milestone of 1000 tour wins in his previous round against Feliciano Lopez. The World No. 2 raced to a 6-1 lead in the opening set before the Australian started offering a little more resistance in the second.
Thompson was actually a set point up at 6-5, on Nadal’s serve. But the 13-time French Open champion saved it before asserting his supremacy in the ensuing tie-break.
Nadal’s first serve has been quite a force to reckon with this week. He has been able to earn a lot of cheap points with it, and has won 25 service games in a row since Lopez broke him in the very first game of their encounter.
But the going will get tougher for Nadal from here onwards, starting with the contest against the resurgent Pablo Carreno Busta.
The 29-year-old had endured a dismal start to the European indoor swing, with early defeats at both Antwerp and Vienna. But he seems to have turned things around in the French capital, registering three impressive victories on the trot.
Carreno Busta defeated home favorite Hugo Gaston in his opening match before knocking out the tricky Jan-Lennard Struff in the next. In his third round match on Thursday, the Spaniard overcame Norbert Gombos - again in straight sets, like his two previous wins.
Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta head-to-head
Rafael Nadal leads Pablo Carreno Busta by a whopping margin of 6-0 in the head-to-head record.
They have played twice already this year, once at the Australian Open and once at the Rome Masters. Nadal won both of those matches in straight sets, dropping just nine games in the process.
Rafael Nadal vs Pablo Carreno Busta prediction
Pablo Carreno Busta has won just one set against his more illustrious compatriot over the course of their rivalry. And that was way back in 2016 at Doha, when Rafael Nadal going through a mid-career slump.
The astonishingly poor record could probably play on Carreno Busta’s mind as he takes the court against Nadal on Friday. However, his morale could be boosted by the fact that his shot-making has been at a high level in this tournament so far.
Carreno Busta's serve has always been a bit of a liability, and he did struggle a bit with it against Gombos on Thursday too. If Nadal’s return is on the money, that - coupled with his own much-improved serve - will make matters extremely difficult for Carreno Busta.
Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in straight sets.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
