Category: Draws

Paris Masters 2018: Here’s how Rafa’s draw is looking

On By Rafael Nadal FansIn Draws21 Comments
AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT 

Rafael Nadal will make his comeback from a knee injury at the Paris Masters next week.  The world No. 1, who needs to match Novak Djokovic’s result this week to stay top of the rankings, will play the winner of the match between Fernando Verdasco and Jeremy Chardy in the second round.

Rafa is playing for the first time since suffering a knee injury at the US Open and he could meet Jack Sock in the third round before a clash with Dominic Thiem in the last eight.

Rafa’s potential route to the final:

  • 1st round: Bye
  • 2nd round: Fernando Verdasco or Jeremy Chardy
  • 3rd round: Jack Sock
  • Quarter-final: Dominic Thiem or Borna Coric
  • Semi-final: Alexander Zverev
  • Final: Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer

Projected quarterfinals:

  • Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem
  • Alexander Zverev vs John Isner
  • Kevin Anderson vs Roger Federer
  • Novak Djokovic vs Marin Cilic

View Singles Draw

Our champ has never won the tournament in the French capital, but will be hoping to build some momentum ahead of next month’s ATP Finals in London.

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What do you think of Rafael Nadal’s US Open draw?

On By Rafael Nadal FansIn Draws41 Comments

The draw was performed today in New York City. Defending champion and top seed Rafael Nadal has been drawn to face countryman David Ferrer in the first round of the US Open. Last year’s runner-up Kevin Anderson is in Rafa’s quarter along with Dominic Thiem and Denis Shapovalov.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

If it falls per ranking, this would be Rafa’s path to the final:

  • 1st round: David Ferrer
  • 2nd round: Lukas Lacko
  • 3rd round: Karen Khachanov
  • 4th round: Kyle Edmund or Jack Sock
  • Quarter-final: Kevin Anderson
  • Semi-final: Juan Martin del Potro
  • Final: Roger Federer

If the men play to seed the quarter-final line up will be:

  • Rafael Nadal vs. Kevin Anderson
  • Juan Martin del Potro vs. Grigor Dimitrov
  • Alexander Zverev vs. Marin Cilic
  • Novak Djokovic vs. Roger Federer

View singles draw

Our champ is bidding to clinch a 18th grand slam title of his career and his fourth in the Big Apple.

Rafa, who has a 53-10 record in New York City, including the 2010, 2013 and 2017 crowns, has never lost in the first round of the US Open and last failed to get past the second round 14 years ago, when he lost to Andy Roddick  in 2004.

The tournament starts on Monday.

GOOD LUCK & VAMOS RAFA!

Cincinnati 2018: Rafael Nadal gets potentially tough draw

On By Rafael Nadal FansIn Draws24 Comments

Singles draw for the Western & Southern Open, the seventh ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the season, was made on Friday.

Rafael Nadal is No. 1 seed and has a first-round bye. He will face either Milos Raonic or a qualifier in the second round, with fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov, 10th seed Novak Djokovic and 14th seed Kyle Edmund also in his quarter.

Getty Images

Rafa’s potential route to the final:

  • First round: Bye
  • Second round: Milos Raonic
  • Third round: Denis Shapovalov or Kyle Edmund
  • Quarter-final: Novak Djokovic
  • Semi-final: Alexander Zverev or Marin Cilic
  • Final: Roger Federer

If the men play to seed the quarter-final line up will be:

  • Rafael Nadal vs. Grigor Dimitrov
  • Alexander Zverev vs. Marin Cilic
  • Kevin Anderson vs. Juan Martin del Potro
  • Dominic Thiem vs. Roger Federer

View Singles Draw

Rafa was the tournament winner in Cincinnati in 2013.

Main draw action in Cincinnati gets underway on Sunday.

Good luck, Rafa!

Rogers Cup 2018: Is Rafael Nadal’s draw good or bad?

On By Rafael Nadal FansIn Draws48 Comments

World no.1 Rafael Nadal attended the official draw ceremony for 2018 Rogers Cup presented by National Bank on Friday afternoon.

The sixth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the season will be played from August 6 to August 12 in Toronto.

After a first round bye, Rafa will play the winner of a match between a qualifier and Benoit Paire on Wednesday night. He could face Nick Kyrgios in the third round, prior to a quarter-final against Marin Cilic.

Photo via Getty Images

Rafa’s potential route to the final:

  • First round: Bye
  • Second round: Beniot Paire
  • Third round: Nick Kyrgios or Stan Wawrinka
  • Quarter-final: Marin Cilic
  • Semi-final: Juan Martin del Potro
  • Final: Alexander Zverev or Novak Djokovic

If the men play to seed the quarter-final line up will be:

  • Rafael Nadal vs. Marin Cilic
  • Juan Martin del Potro vs. John Isner
  • Kevin Anderson vs. Grigor Dimitrov
  • Dominic Thiem vs. Alexander Zverev

 

View Singles Draw

Rafa has won the Canadian title three times, most recently at Coupe Rogers in 2013. He is bidding to win the trophy for the fourth time and add it to his collection of 32 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns.

Our champ reached only third round last year, where he fell to Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-7(4).

Good luck and Vamos Rafa!

Wimbledon 2018 draw could be good news for Rafael Nadal

On By Rafael Nadal FansIn Draws, Rafael Nadal26 Comments

The Wimbledon draw is out.

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, seeded second, will play Dudi Sela in the first round at Wimbledon. Top seed Roger Federer is on the other side of the draw.

The first seed our champ could face is Italian Marco Cecchinato. Diego Schwartzman or Fabio Fognini could play Rafa in the fourth round, while Juan Martin del Potro or David Goffin are the highest seeds he could square off against in the quarter-finals.

Rafael Nadal beats Matthew Ebden at Hurlingham Club in exhibition match (2)

Photo by Simon Cooper/PA Images via Getty Images

Rafa’s potential route to the final:

  • 1st round: Dudi Sela
  • 2nd round: Mikhail Kukushkin
  • 3rd round: Marco Cecchinato
  • Last 16: Diego Schwartzman
  • Quarter-final: Juan Martin del Potro or David Goffin
  • Semi-final: Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic or Nick Kyrgios
  • Final: Roger Federer or Marin Cilic

Wimbledon 2018 projected men’s singles quarterfinals:

  • Roger Federer v Kevin Anderson
  • Marin Cilic v Grigor Dimitrov
  • Dominic Thiem v Alexander Zverev
  • Juan Martin del Potro v Rafael Nadal

Find the full gentlemen’s singles draw HERE.

Rafa reached five finals in as many appearances at Wimbledon from 2006-11, but fell short of QFs in five showings from 2012-17. He is bidding to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year for the 3rd time and equal Bjorn Borg’s all-time record of 3 back-toback titles in Paris and London. Borg achieved the feat in 3 consecutive years (1978-80), while our champ won Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back in 2008 and 2010.

Who do you think has the toughest draw? Who has the best chance of reaching the final? Comment below!

Source: Wimbledon

Roland Garros 2018: Is Rafael Nadal’s draw good or bad?

On By Rafael Nadal FansIn Draws18 Comments

The Roland Garros draw is out. Ten-time champion Rafael Nadal will play in the first round against Alexandr Dolgopolov.

In the second round, he could face Guido Pella or Joao Sousa. An encounter with Richard Gasquet could be on the cards in the third round.

If all goes well for our champion, he could face Canadian hotshot Denis Shapovalov or American Jack Sock in the fourth round. The King of Clay could come up against Kevin Anderson or Diego Schwartzman in the quarters. In the semifinals, he could be seen battling with Juan Martin del Potro or Marin Cilic.

C.Dubreuil / FFT

Rafa’s possible path to an 11th French Open title:

  • Round 1: Alexandr Dolgopolov
  • Round 2: Guido Pella or Joao Sousa
  • Round 3: Richard Gasquet
  • Round 4: Denis Shapovalov
  • Quarter Final: Diego Schwartzman
  • Semi Final: Marin Cilic
  • Final: Alexander Zverev

Roland Garros 2018 projected men’s singles quarterfinals:

  • Rafael Nadal vs Kevin Anderson
  • Marin Cilic vs Juan Martin del Potro
  • David Goffin vs Grigor Dimitrov
  • Alexander Zverev vs Dominic Thiem

Rafa has suffered just two losses in 81 matches at the clay-court Grand Slam championship – to Sweden’s Robin Soderling in the 2009 fourth round and to Novak Djokovic in the 2015 quarter-finals.

The Spanish superstar has a 19-1 clay-court record this year (23-2 overall), which includes 11th titles at both Monte-Carlo (d. Nishikori) and the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (d. Tsitsipas), in addition to an eighth crown at last week’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia (d. A. Zverev).

GOOD LUCK & VAMOS RAFA!

Source: ATP World Tour

Rome Masters Draw 2018: Rafa could reclaim No. 1

On By Rafael Nadal FansIn Articles, Draws26 Comments

The Internaznioli BNL D’Italia, otherwise known as the Rome Masters, draw is out, and here are the results.

Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal is No. 1 seed and has a bye in the first round. In the second round, our champ will play either countryman Fernando Verdasco or Damir Dzumhur.

Rafa could face Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals as he hunts his eighth Rome Masters title. He is in the same side of the draw at the Italian Open as Novak Djokovic.

Photo by David Aliaga/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Rafa’s potential route to the final: 

  • Round 1: Bye
  • Round 2: Fernando Verdasco or Damir Dzumhur
  • Round 16: Tomas Berdych
  • Quarter Final: Dominic Thiem
  • Semi Final: Grigor Dimitrov
  • Final: Alexander Zverev
If the men play to seed the quarter-final line up will be:
  • Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem
  • Grigor Dimitrov vs John Isner
  • Kevin Anderson vs Marin Cilic
  • Juan Martin del Potro vs Alexander Zverev

This will be Rafa’s final clay court tournament before the French Open.

With Dominic Thiem’s upset of Rafa at the Madrid Open, Roger Federer will return to No. 1 in ATP Rankings on 14 May. Rafa would reclaim World No. 1 on 21 May if he wins his 8th title in Rome. (via ATP World Tour)

GOOD LUCK & VAMOS RAFA!