Rafael Nadal’s quest for a third Wimbledon title is still very much alive after recording a convincing 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (3) win over Karen Khachanov in the third round on Friday. It was a solid performance from Nadal who needed two hours and 15 minutes to produce the straight sets victory. With the win, Nadal booked a place in the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships for the seventh time in his career.
The Spaniard held his composure in this epic battle, committing just 19 unforced errors as opposed to Khachanov’s 35. Just like in his second round match against Donald Young, Nadal’s serve was impressive once again in this contest. He converted 70 percent (65-of-93) of his first serves against Khachanov with the 15-time Grand Slam champion winning 52 of his 65 first serve points.
Waiting in the next round for Nadal is the talented Gilles Muller. This will be the sixth meeting between the two stars in the ATP Tour with Nadal currently holding an impressive 4-1 advantage. For Nadal to extend his dominance against Muller, he needs to continue his strong net play in the fourth round. He won 17 of his 21 net points against Khachanov on Friday.
Gilles Muller barged into the fourth round of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships with a 7-6 (4), 7-5, 6-4 over Aljaz Bedene on Friday. It was an impressive showing from the 34-year-old veteran, who needed two hours and 27 minutes to eliminate the hometown favorite. Just like in his previous two matches, Muller’s serve was the main difference once again. He won 83 percent of his first serve points in the straight-sets win against Bedene. Muller also blasted a whopping 45 winners in that third-round contest, stretching his tournament total to 164.
Muller will look to continue his excellent form in the round of 16 when he takes on the in-form Rafael Nadal. Yes, he’s just 1-4 against Nadal in their head-to-head matchup but his lone victory against the world no. 2 came at the hallowed grounds of the All England Club. Muller defeated Nadal, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the second round of the 2005 Wimbledon Championships.
