Rafael Nadal’s quest for a record 10th French Open title is still very much alive after brushing aside Nicolas Almagro in the second round on Thursday. Nadal will look to seal a spot in the round of 32 this coming Saturday when he squares off with Andrey Kuznetsov.
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this third-round clash and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the much-anticipated showdown between Andy Murray and Nick Kyrgios here.
[sc:TennisArticles ]Rafael Nadal vs. Andrey Kuznetsov Betting Preview
Where: Roland Garros, Paris
When: Saturday, May 30, 4:00 AM ET
Line: Rafael Nadal (-8,000) vs. Andrey Kuznetsov (+3,000) – view all French Open lines
Betting on Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal stormed into the third round of the 2015 French Open with a resounding 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 win over unseeded Nicolas Almagro on Thursday. It was a dominant performance from Nadal who needed just two hours and 19 minutes to oust his Spanish compatriot.
[sc:Other240banner ]Just like in his first round match against Quentin Halys, Nadal’s serve was impressive once again. He converted 68% of his first serves against Almagro with the Spaniard winning 46 of his 63 first serve points. What proved to be the difference in the match, though, was his return. Nadal won 48% (44 of 92) of his receiving points against Almagro. Nadal also converted six of his 16 break point opportunities against the clay-court specialist.
Next up for Nadal is a third-round clash with Russian Andrey Kuznetsov. He has yet to face Kuznetsov in his storied career. Nadal will have no problem defeating Kuznetsov, though, especially if he can continue his highly-efficient play. He has committed a total of just 29 unforced errors in his first two matches.
Nadal is 8-2 in his last 10 outings.
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Betting on Andrey Kuznetsov
Andrey Kuznetsov booked a place in the third round of the 2015 French Open with a tough 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (0), 7-5 win over Jurgen Melzer. This is the first time in his career that he has reached the round of 32 at Roland Garros. Things are bound to get tougher, though, for the Russian as he will next face the “King of Clay” Rafael Nadal.
For Kuznetsov to grab the massive upset, he will need to improve on his service game. He put into play just 55% of his first serves in his opening two matches against Melzer and Malek Jaziri. That simply won’t do against a world-class player in Nadal who owns a phenomenal 68-1 record at Roland Garros. He also needs to cut down on his errors if he is to shock the 14-time Grand Slam champion. He committed a whopping 49 unforced errors against Melzer in the second round.
Kuznetsov has to be aggressive right from the get-go for him to stand a chance against Nadal. He will need to put pressure on the Spanish star and he can achieve that by employing his highly-effective net play. He won 29 of his 34 net points (85%) in the previous round against Melzer. For the tournament, Kuznetsov has won 81% of his total net points.
Kuznetsov is 6-4 in his last 10 matches.
Writer’s Prediction
Nadal (-8,000) coasts to a straight-sets win.
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