Rafael Nadal: breaking down his chances at the 2017 Miami Open
By Harry Floyd
Rafael Nadal has a chance to win a title at the 2017 Miami Open. Here’s how the world No. 7’s path to victory looks.
Rafael Nadal finds himself as the fifth seeded player at the 2017 Miami Open.
The current world No. 7 seeks his first title at the ATP tournament. Despite 13 Miami Open appearances, Nadal has never tasted glory.
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2017 is shaping up to be a good year so far for the Spaniard. He reached a finals match at both the Australian Open and Mexican Open.
If Nadal hopes to reach the finals in Miami, he would not face Roger Federer until that match. In Nadal’s portion of the draw is second seeded Kei Nishikori. The top seed in Miami this week is Swiss tennis player Stan Wawrinka.
In order to advance, Nadal could potentially face Philipp Kohlschreiber, Grigor Dimitrov, and Milos Raonic. Other players to watch out for include American Jack Sock who is off to a great start in 2017.
The one piece working in Nadal’s favor is the absence of both Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. Both players withdrew from the tournament due to elbow injuries. Djokovic is a six-time winner at the event and the defending champion. Last year, he defeated Nishikori in the finals. The Japanese player will look to avenge his loss this week.
Look for Rafael Nadal to run deep into the Miami Open. The way he is playing right now, he is on the verge of his first ATP singles title in 2017.
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