Rafa, Sascha Set For Battle Royale In Rome

The fireworks will be flying on Sunday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, as the two hottest players on the ATP World Tour are set for a championship clash in Rome. 

Top seed and seven-time champion Rafael Nadal will square off against second seed and reigning titlist Alexander Zverev in a highly-anticipated showdown on the clay of the Foro Italico. It is only fitting that the gladiators renew their budding rivalry in Rome, with plenty on the line for both players.

One year after making his debut appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, Zverev is well on his way to return to The O2. The German is assured of securing the top spot in the ATP Race To London on Monday with his successful week in Rome. He has dominated the ATP World Tour in recent months, posting a 21-2 record on the circuit since mid-March, which has vaulted the 21-year-old to the Race lead as we enter Roland Garros.

Zverev still has plenty at stake against Nadal, however, as he also seeks to continue to close the gap on the Top 2 of the ATP Rankings. And with only 10 points to defend at the second Grand Slam of the year, a win on Sunday would be another important step in his quest to become the first player outside the Big Four to crack the Top 2 in 13 years.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head for the following match from the 2018 Internazionali BNL d’Italia & vote for who you think will win! 
Nadal vs Zverev 

“There’s not much you need to say about him,” Zverev, who now owns a tour-leading 30 match wins this year, said about Nadal. “I’m definitely not the favourite in this matchup, but I’ll be ready for it and I’ll do everything I can to recover. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”

ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Title Leaders

As if Nadal needs any additional motivation to secure an unprecedented 32nd Masters 1000 crown and eighth in the Eternal City, the Spaniard will be eyeing a return to World No. 1 in the ATP Rankings with a win on Sunday. After relinquishing the No. 1 mantle following a quarter-final defeat to Dominic Thiem at the Mutua Madrid Open, Nadal is poised to reclaim his throne for a 174th week.

“If I am back to No. 1, it’s great,” said Nadal on Saturday. “Better than to be No. 2, it’s true. My motivation is to win a title and I am playing for this tomorrow.”

Zverev enters Sunday’s showdown in the midst of a 13-match unbeaten run, having dropped just two sets in that span. But Nadal will take great confidence from a streak of his own. The Manacor native owns a perfect 4-0 mark in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, including a recent 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory in Davis Cup action last month. He also claimed wins in Indian Wells in 2016 and last year at both the Australian Open at Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Both players will be battle tested as they enter Centrale once again, with Nadal overcoming Novak Djokovic on Saturday, in what was the 51st meeting between the two titans, and Zverev outlasting Marin Cilic under the lights. The top-seeded Spaniard is also coming off a comeback victory over Fabio Fognini in the quarter-finals, having stormed back from a set down to defeat the home favourite. 

And if Nadal is to add a 78th piece of silverware to his burgeoning trophy case, he will claim yet another slice of history. Victory over Zverev would see him climb past John McEnroe for solo fourth place on the Open Era titles list. Only Jimmy Connors (109), Roger Federer (97) and Ivan Lendl (94) remain ahead of the 31-year-old.

Tour-Level Match Wins Leaders In 2018

On the other side of the net, victory for Zverev would put the 21-year-old in an exclusive club as just the third player to complete the Madrid-Rome double. Only Nadal (2010 & ’13) and Djokovic (2011) have done so since the current Masters 1000 format was established in 2009. Zverev is also bidding to become the first player outside of the Big Four to successfully defend a Masters 1000 crown since Juan Carlos Ferrero achieved the feat in Monte-Carlo in 2002-03. 

Read More: Zverev Extends Streak, Reaches Rome Final

“We’ve had some very tough matches,” Zverev added, referring to his previous meetings with Nadal. “In Indian Wells, I lost with a match point and in Australia we went five sets. Obviously we had some great battles and I’ve always enjoyed playing him. He’s the greatest of all time on clay, but hopefully I can prepare the best I can for tomorrow.”