#4. Rafael Nadal vs Federico Delbonis
The 2008 Olympic Champion, Nadal hasn’t been in the best of form lately with injury issues preventing him from being at his very best. However, Nadal is now in good shape and will be expected to redeem himself at Rio. Nadal will be playing 43rd ranked Argentine Federico Delbonis in the first round and this will be their third meeting overall with Nadal being the victor on their previous two meetings.
While Nadal has had a roller coaster season so far owing to injuries, Delbonis has had his best season so far which includes a win over World No. 2 Andy Murray in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. The aggressive Nadal may have not played any tennis since the French Open but has had utilized this long break to prepare himself for the Olympics both physically and mentally.
However, Delbonis cannot be written off as he might have a trick or two up his sleeve for Nadal. All eyes will be on Nadal to see if he can put up a good showing after not playing for quite some time. An early victory for Nadal will be a morale-booster for him and will definitely propel him to give the spectators a glimpse of his lethality.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
