Roland Garros 2021: Rafael Nadal vs Diego Schwartzman preview, head-to-head & prediction

By Stan
Modified Jun 08, 2021 21:08 GMT
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal

Match details

Fixture: (3) Rafael Nadal vs (10) Diego Schwartzman

Date: 9 June 2021

Tournament: Roland Garros 2021

Round: Quarterfinals

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: €17,171,108

Match timing: Approx. 3 pm local time, 1 pm GMT, 9 am EST, 6.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | UK - ITV | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Rafael Nadal vs Diego Schwartzman preview

Rafael Nadal will take on familiar foe Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals of the 2021 French Open on Wednesday in a rematch of last year's semifinal clash.

The Spaniard, seeded three, beat Jannik Sinner 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 in his fourth-round match on Monday.

Much like their previous meeting in Paris, Nadal got off to a slow start and Sinner found himself serving for the first set. But the teenager fell prey to a bout of nerves as he dropped three straight games to concede the opening set.

The 13-time champion, buoyed by the comeback, raced to a 4-0 lead in the second set, but Sinner reeled off three games in a row to claw his way back into the match. Nadal, however, upped his level in the crucial moments to take the second set before romping home in the third.

While Nadal ended up hitting 31 winners, Jannik Sinner was able to muster just 11. The Italian teenager also committed a whopping 40 unforced errors - 10 more than Nadal's tally.

Diego Schwartzman, meanwhile, produced a miraculous comeback in the first set of his fourth-round win against Jan-Lennard Struff. The Argentine looked rusty in the early going and some powerful shot-making from Struff earned the German a 5-1 lead in no time.

Schwartzman refused to yield and saved six set points before leveling at 5-5. He saved another set point in the tiebreak to complete a miraculous turnaround and take the opener.

A similar story unfolded in the second set as Struff twice failed to build on a break advantage. The German eventually conceded the set 6-4. Schwartzman got off to a better start in the third set and led the German 4-0, but this time it was Struff's turn to mount a comeback as he leveled at 4-4.

However, the Argentine quickly snuffed out any hopes of a miraculous turnaround and broke Struff in the 12th game to close out a straight-sets win.

Rafael Nadal vs Diego Schwartzman head-to-head

Rafael Nadal has played Diego Schwartzman 11 times and leads the head-to-head 10-1. Schwartzman's only win over Nadal came on clay last year, when he defeated the Spaniard in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters.

Rafael Nadal vs Diego Schwartzman prediction

Diego Schwartzman
Diego Schwartzman

Rafael Nadal heads into this match as the firm favorite, like he does in every match at Roland Garros. Even though the Spaniard was far from his best against Jannik Sinner in the previous round, he was still able to stamp his authority over the hapless Italian teenager.

But Nadal will have to show a marked improvement on his serve and forehand against a player of Schwartzman's quality. Diego Schwartzman has gained a bit of muscle in recent months and strikes the ball with more power than before.

The Argentine is a very strong returner off both wings, but his serve still lacks bite and could be put to the sword by Nadal. Expect the Spaniard to keep asking questions of Schwartzman on his service games, with the Argentine likely to crack under the pressure.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in straight sets.

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