Though Rafael Nadal has not won any title in 2017 so far, his season has been good. However, it could all change as he is gearing up to face Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday.
Nadal is aiming for his tenth Mote Carlo Masters title. The Spaniard was in sensational form during his second round clash against Zverev, who could not cope with Nadal's clay-court brilliance. Nadal won the match in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1.
Nadal is high on confidence with such wonderful performances under his belt and he will head into the match as the favourite. The king of clay showed his dominance in the red surface against Zverev. However, he did struggle a bit in his opening match against Kyle Edmund.
The clay master's amazing baseline game and never-give-up attitude are enough to see him through to the semifinals. However, the former world number cannot afford to take it easy against Schwartzman.
The two players came face to face last in US Open 2015, when Nadal beat Schwartzman in straight sets. Nadal has beaten Schwartzman on both occasions in his career, and will be looking for his third straight win.
Schwartzman, the 41st ranked player in the world, is a good mover on the court. But it remains to be seen if he will pose any challenge to the Spaniard. Schwartzman has to finish points early and not allow Nadal to dictate terms in rallies.
It's a tough ask, and the Argentinean needs to give it all to pull off an upset.
Where to watch live
Rafael Nadal vs Diego Schwartzman Monte Carlo Masters match is tentatively scheduled for 5 pm local time (8.30 pm IST, 4 pm BST and 11 am ET). Here is the live TV and streaming information.
- India: TV: Ten 1 HD, Ten 3. 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