Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal – Third Round – Preview & Prediction | 2022 Australian Open
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THE FACTS
When is Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal on and what time does it start? Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal will take place on Friday 21st January, 2022 – not before 09:15 (UK)
Where is Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal taking place? Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal will take place at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia
What surface is Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal being played on? Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal? Visit this link for the latest ticket information for Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal
What channel is Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal on in the UK? Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal will be televised live on Eurosport
Where can I stream Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal in the UK? Eurosport subscribers can stream Karen Khachanov vs Rafael Nadal live on their website, while Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match live on Sky Go
THE LOWDOWN
KAREN KHACHANOV
Former world number eight Karen Khachanov dropped the opening set of his 2022 Australian Open campaign to Denis Kudla but he has won the last six in a row to reach the third round after an assured display against Benjamin Bonzi. The 25-year-old has been a little left behind by compatriots Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Aslan Karatsev in this talented generation but he went the furthest of the four at Wimbledon last season with a quarter-final exit and he is well capable of re-joining the top 20 one day soon.
RAFAEL NADAL
World number five Rafael Nadal beat Yannick Hanfmann in competitive straight sets on Wednesday in the perfect way to keep pursuing his best level whilst conserving the most energy here in Melbourne. He rides a five-match winning streak into the third round after winning Melbourne 1 two weeks ago for an 89th career ATP title and he has reached at least the quarter-finals in his last five appearances here, finishing runner-up to Roger Federer in 2017 and Novak Djokovic in 2019. The 35-year-old has won a record-equalling 20 Grand Slam titles: 13 from Roland-Garros, 4 at the US Open, 2 at Wimbledon and one here back in 2009.
THE PREDICTION
This is Rafael Nadal’s first true test at the Australian Open. Although he leads Karen Khachanov 7-0 in their head-to-head, and that heavily suggests he can make it 8-0 here, the Russian has often found ways to push Nadal very close. Five of their last six sets from three matches at the 2018 US Open and Indian Wells and the Davis Cup Finals in 2019 went to a tiebreak, so taking the Spaniard to win outright with at least one tiebreak looks a reasonable combination here. Two would be a potentially valuable risk.
