Rafael Nadal is the best clay-court player to have ever graced the sport of tennis. The Spaniard is aiming to win the Monte Carlo Masters for a record tenth time as he prepares to face Kyle Edmund in the second round on Wednesday. This is the first clay-court competition of the year, and Nadal will want to get into his rhythm straight away ahead of the French Open.
Nadal has been seeded fourth in the competition, and there are some big names in Monte Carlo including Novak Djokvic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka. However, the in-form and Mr popular Roger Federer has given the competition a miss.
Nadal should not think too much ahead, and rather concentrate one match at a time, but the Spaniard has been in good form, so he could go all the way in Monte Carlo Masters as well. He has reached the finals of three major competitions this year, but is still searching for his first title in 2017. Will Monte Carlo prove to be lucky?
As of now, his focus will be on Edmund, and this will be their first head-to-head meeting in the ATP circuit. The former world number one will definitely start the match as favourite, and there is a serious need for him to start the competition well. It will be about confidence and momentum as the Monte Carlo Masters moves ahead. However, there is no way Edmund can be taken lightly too.
It is Nadal's ability to run all around the court, never give up, and his skills from the baseline, which makes him a solid player in red clay. Edmund will try and do whatever he can to outdo Nadal, but will he succeed?
There seems to be an air of confidence in Edmund, who defeated Dan Evans in the first round, as feels he has been improving in the last few days in the red surface. He knows it will be tough.
"I like the clay. I've been getting better on it over the past few days. It will be just a great experience. It will be a tough match, whatever the court. The flipside, he's not played me. Different game styles. At the start of the match no one gets a head start just because of ranking or past wins. It's 0-0, game on. That's how I've got to approach it," Guardian quoted Edmund as saying.
Where to watch live
Rafael Nadal vs Kyle Edmund Monte Carlo Masters match is tentatively scheduled for 3 pm local time (6: 30 pm IST, 1 pm GMT, 9 am ET). Here is the live TV and streaming information.
India: TV: Ten 2. Live Streaming: Sony Liv
US: TV: Tennis Channel: Live Streaming: Tennis Channel Live
UK: TV: Sky Sports 1 HD: Live Streaming: Sky Go
China: TV: CCTV
Canada: TV: TSN
Australia: TV: ESPN International
France: TV: Canal +
Also, one can live stream the match on the Monte Carlo official website
