Roland Garros: Rafael Nadal vs Stefano Travaglia preview, head-to-head & prediction | French Open 2020

Match details

Fixture: Rafael Nadal vs Stefano Travaglia

Date: 2 October 2020

Tournament: Roland Garros 2020

Round: Third round (Round of 32)

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Red clay

Prize money: Approx. €38,000,000

Match timing: Approx. 6 pm CEST, 9.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports Select / Disney + Hotstar VIP | Europe - Eurosport

Rafael Nadal vs Stefano Travaglia preview

After thoroughly outclassing Mackenzie McDonald in his second-round match, Rafael Nadal will take on Italy’s Stefano Travaglia in the third round of the 2020 French Open on Friday.

Blessed with a rather straightforward draw in the early going, Rafael Nadal is making good use of his first few matches to find his rhythm ahead of the trickier rounds. The Mallorcan was far from his best in Rome, but now seems to be getting close to the level that gave him 12 titles at Roland Garros.

There wasn’t a single element of Nadal’s game that didn’t hit top gear against Mackenzie McDonald. His dominance was clear from the fact that he lost a mere four games in the entirety of the match.

Nadal also seems to be adjusting well to the conditions, at times even hitting his groundstrokes flat and hard. Despite his serve not winning a lot of cheap points, Nadal wouldn't be overly concerned about that as he has conceded just two break points so far in the tournament.

Stefano Travaglia

That said, Stefano Travaglia is playing some good tennis himself. The Italian is a much-improved player, as seen in his performances at Rome and Paris so far. Travaglia has beaten the likes of Borna Coric and Kei Nishikori in these runs, while also giving a tough fight to Matteo Berrettini.

The Italian is playing to his strengths so far, and the current conditions at Roland Garros suit his game well. Travaglia has a pretty solid serve and forehand, which got him out of jail numerous times against Nishikori on Wednesday.

Rafael Nadal vs Stefano Travaglia head-to-head

Rafael Nadal and Stefano Travaglia have never played each other before and as such their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Rafael Nadal vs Stefano Travaglia prediction

To put it bluntly, it doesn’t seem likely that Rafael Nadal will be troubled greatly by Stefano Travaglia. Even though the Italian is playing well, the Spaniard is a class apart from pretty much everyone on the claycourts of Paris.

Rafael Nadal

The Italian’s best surface is clay by a long margin, and his loopy forehand and solid backhand have troubled most of his opponents lately. But Nadal’s imperious forehand will likely make things very difficult for Travaglia, especially on his backhand wing.

Unless the Italian finds a way to counter Nadal's vicious topspin, the Spaniard will make quick work of him come Friday.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal to win in straight sets.