Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two of the greatest players to have ever played the sport of tennis. The two stars met in an epic Australia Open 2017 final, with the Swiss emerging victorious, and Nadal will be eyeing revenge when he faces Federer in the Indian Wells Masters' round of 16 clash on Wednesday.
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Federer did not feature in second half of the season last year due to knee problems, but the Swiss ace has been in great form since his return. After winning the Australian Open, this Indian Wells is expected to test Federer to the hilt as the field comprises some incredible players.
The Swiss has not dropped a single set, but Nadal is going to be his biggest test in the Indian Wells so far. Federer will be keen to play some attractive tennis against Nadal, who knows how to grind results from impossible situations.
Both the players are champions in their own right, and it is a pity that these players are meeting so early in the competition. Federer is excited to play against one of his strong rivals in world tennis.
"That's why I came here, to play against guys like Rafa. Now we have it. I'm going to be excited now, I'd better be excited now otherwise I came for the wrong reasons," Sky Sports quoted Federer as saying.
"I try to see it really as another opportunity to build upon something for the rest of the season. So regardless of Australia, winning or losing, I'm going to try to go out there and try to play free again. I think it's really important."
When players of such quality clash in the middle, one cannot choose a favourite. It just depends on who shines better on the day. Like Federer, Nadal has also not lost a single set in the Indian Wells so far. The question remains – can Nadal grab two of the three sets in the round of 16? Nadal was all praise for his opponent, who makes tennis looks so simple.
"He has the talent to do very difficult things that look easy. He's able to take the ball very early. Serve and first shot, he creates a lot of winners with that, the two first shots," Nadal said.
Irrespective of the match result, the neutrals fans in the venue are set for a mouth-watering encounter, and they will be richly entertained by the quality of action on Wednesday.
Where to watch live
Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal is scheduled for 5 pm local time (5:30 am IST, 12am, 1 am CET). Here is the live TV and streaming information.
India: TV: Sony ESPN. Live Streaming: Sony Liv
US: TV: Tennis Channel: Live Streaming: Tennis Channel Live
UK: TV: Sky Sports 1: Live Streaming: Sky Go
Also, one can live stream the match on the ATP official website
