"I have beaten him last few times" - Zverev eager to take on Nadal at the Madrid Open

Alexander Zverev has put forward some strong performances at the Madrid Open but facing Nadal on Spanish soil is something he is eagerly awaiting.

It has been a good run for Zverev at the Madrid Open with the German reaching the quarterfinal. It's an event where has good memories having won it in 2018. But his biggest challenge is ahead of him as he is set to take on Nadal. Speaking on that he said:

“I've beaten him the last few times that we've played but obviously beating him on a clay court is very different. I've had some tough battles. I think also when you beat him a few times in a row it doesn't matter where it is he's going to be more motivated to beat you the next few times."

The last time they played on clay was in 2018 in the Rome final which Nadal won in three sets. They never played in Madrid before but the conditions should favour Zverev more who has the better serve. The German explained it:

“There’s a higher bounce, and definitely the serve goes through the court quicker. Also, the ball flies through the air much faster so you can play more aggressively here than you can play on other clay courts. But still, I think Rafa is the favourite anywhere he goes, that's not going to change.”

For Zverev the key will be hitting winners as Nadal is a superb mover on the clay. He said:

“He moves better on a clay court than he does on a hard court so it's not easy to hit winners against him. But I have to manage it tomorrow and I have to definitely [hit winners].”

Follow the score of the match on our lives cores page here. Match starts at 15:00 CET.