Rafeal Nadal, who has had a below par 2015 season without a single grand slam title, will square off against the Swiss, Stan Wawrinka, in the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters on Friday.
The Spaniard defeated Milos Raonic in straight sets during their third round encounter to set up a date with Wawrinka, which is sure to be an entertaining match between the two stars of world tennis.
Of late, things have looked better for Nadal, who has been quite impressive in the ATP circuit. The Spaniard reached his first hard-court finals of the season during the China Open last week, though he lost to Novak Djokovic. Finishing runners-up seems to have boosted his confidence as he defeated Ivo Karlovic in a thrilling second round clash with the score reading 7-5, 6-7 and 7-6.
It is such performance which tennis fans across the world have been used to watch, but spectators have been deprived of such action this season. However, the crowd in Shanghai may tell you a different story after his hearty performance so far in the competition.
After defeating Raonic in the third round, Nadal said that he was enjoying the match, which means that the Spaniard is playing some good tennis. Such words from Nadal are a scary prospect for Wawrnika, his quarter-finals opponent.
"Today, I felt that I was not playing with as much nerves when I am on court,"ATP official website quoted Nadal as saying. "I was able to enjoy the match."
"Winning a match 7‑6 in the third yesterday (Karlovic) and winning a match again today (Raonic) in the tiebreak of a second set, two tiebreaks without losing a point with my serve, it's impossible if you don't have control of your emotions. That's something that, a couple of months ago, would have been impossible for me," added Nadal.
To be fair, Wawrinka has been one of the best players in the circuit this season, winning the French Open. The Swiss is even more confident after clinching the Japan Open last week. Wawrinka defeated Marin Cilic in the third round, 7-5, 6-7(7-9) and 6-4 to book a spot in the round of the last eight.
Both the players -- Nadal and Wawrinka -- love playing from the back end of the court with those aggressive ground strokes, which should make the match fascinating for viewers. Apart from their skills on the court, what makes them big stage players is their mental toughness level.
Where to watch live
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Rafael Nadal vs Stan Wawrinka quarter finals has been scheduled for 3:30pm local time (1pm IST, 8:30am BST, 3:30am ET). Viewers in India can sit back, relax and enjoy Rafael Nadal vs Stan Wawrinka match live on Star Sports 4/HD and Ten Sports, with the live stream option on Ten Sports Live.
Viewers in the UK can watch the Rafael Nadal vs Stan Wawrinka match live on Sky Sports 3/HD with live streaming on Sky Go.
Viewers in the US have the luxury of watching the Rafael Nadal vs Stan Wawrinka match live on Tennis Channel with the option of going online on Tennis Channel Online.
Viewers around the world can stream the Rafael Nadal vs Stan Wawrinka match live on Tennis tv.
