Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev: 3 things to expect from the Davis Cup clash

Rafael Nadal will square off against Alexander Zverev in a crucial Davis Cup tie tomorrow. With Nadal coming back from injury, he will have to be at his best to beat the German. Zverev has been in fine form, reaching the finals of the Miami Open and comfortably defeating David Ferrer in his opening Davis Cup tie.

The 16-time Major winner has played the German on three occasions and has won all of them. Here are three things to expect from the clash:

#3 Nadal's Forehand against Zverev's Backhand

The powerful forehand

Rafael Nadal has not played on tour since retiring at the Australian Open in January but looking at his performance against Philipp Kohlschreiber, it is hard to fathom that the Spaniard was out for 3 months.

During his win against the German, the forehand did a lot of damage and moved Kohlschreiber around the court. With Nadal's forehand hitting the mark, Zverev needs to be cautious and not give him too many short balls to hit. The World No. 4 has one of the most powerful double-handed backhands and can create some amazing angles, as seen during the Miami Open.

The battle between Nadal's forehand and Zverev's backhand will all boil down to who continuously hits the spots. Nadal has shown in a lot of clashes against Federer that he can keep hitting to one side and break down the opponent's game but Zverev is a completely different player and can keep attacking with his backhand. The one with fewer errors off their stronger wing will come out on top.

#2 A tough 5-setter is on the cards

2017 Australian Open - Day 6

The clash will be crucial for both the teams as it could decide who comes out on top. Rafael Nadal is regarded as the greatest clay-court player of all time and will have the advantage of playing on his favourite surface. The Germans know that he has not played since January and will lack match practice and will accordingly prepare their game plan.

Alexander Zverev is brimming with confidence after having a great run in Miami. Expect him to come hard at Nadal and play some attacking tennis. During their clash at the Australian Open in 2017, Nadal just about managed to defeat Zverev in five tough sets. The German was hampered by cramps and had a physical let-down in the fifth set.

The World No. 4 has since worked on his fitness and looks stronger and agiler. If it does go to the deciding set, Zverev might indeed have the edge.

#1 Alexander Zverev can cause an upset

Alexander Zverev is the rising star in tennis and many expect him to be the World No. 1 in the future. Last year was a breakthrough season for him as he became the youngest player to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals. He also won two ATP 1000 titles with one of them coming at the expense of Novak Djokovic on clay.

The young German has played a lot of top players and will not be intimidated by Nadal on clay. Last season, his win over Roger Federer in the Montreal final gave him his second ATP 1000 title. In the process, he became the first player since David Nalbandian to win two titles outside the Big 4. With such stellar records and an ever-improving game, he has a chance to topple the World No 1 and post his first win against the Spaniard.