Can anyone stop Rafael Nadal this clay court season? As of now, there seems to be no stopping the tennis player, who is having a great time this year. He won the Monte Carlo Masters and the Barcelona Open recently. Nadal is now gunning for the Madrid Open title as he prepares to face Belgian player David Goffin in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Nadal has been playing sublime tennis, producing the same glimpses of the past that helped him dominate world tennis. These skills, which has made him cruise towards victory effortessly, were once again on display in his last match against Nick Kyrgios.
The Spaniard did not give any chance to the Australian player in the match that lasted for 72 minutes. He won the match 6-3, 6-1. Now, can he continue in the same vein against Goffin? Yes, absolutely. His confidence is sky high. But he should not be complacent against the Belgian, who played a brilliant game of tennis to show fifth seed Milos Raonic the exit door.
With two players in confident mood, one can expect some exciting action in the Madrid Open quarterfinals. It is going to be a case of watching in action two players who will not give an inch to each other.
Both Nadal and Goffin have been in the circuit for quite some time, and it is surprising to note that they have only met once in the past, in Monte Carlo 2017, where the Spaniard emerged victorious. It was a cruising win for Nadal.
Despite the recent win, Nadal is expecting a tough match against Goffin, who on his good day can stun top players in any competition.
"Tomorrow I'm expecting a tough match. It's going to be against one of the best players. He's very fit. I know that I have to play at my highest level, perhaps similar to today or even better," ATO official website quoted Nadal as saying.
"I think my backhand was good today and my forehand was there. I think I have some margin to do it even better tomorrow and step forward. Hopefully I will make it to the next round. Tomorrow is a day I have to be ready and give my best."
Where to watch live
Madrid Open 2017 quarterfinals clash between Rafael Nadal and David Goffin is tentatively scheduled to start at 4 pm local time, 7:30pm IST
TV and live streaming information
UK: TV: Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports Mix. Live streaming: Sky Go.
USA: TV: Tennis Channel. Live Streaming: Tennis Channel Live.
Global live stream: Live tennis.
