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James Duckworth vs Rafael Nadal: Australian Open Match Preview

By Harry Floyd

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 01: James Duckworth of Australia looks on in his match against Andy Murray of Great Britain during day three of the 2019 Brisbane International at Pat Rafter Arena on January 01, 2019 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 01: James Duckworth of Australia looks on in his match against Andy Murray of Great Britain during day three of the 2019 Brisbane International at Pat Rafter Arena on January 01, 2019 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images) /
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Australia’s own James Duckworth takes on one of the top players in men’s singles tennis first at the 2019 Australian Open.

James Duckworth has the backing of a home crowd as he takes on one of the greatest players in all of tennis first at the 2019 Australian Open. He needs any advantage he can get. Rafael Nadal is the second seed this year at Melbourne Park and fans are eagerly anticipating his return to the tennis courts.

The Spanish great broke down due to ongoing injury issues at the end of the 2018 ATP Tour and he recently pulled out of action at Brisbane in order to better prepare for the Australian Open.

The ongoing health problems give some hope to Duckworth. These two players have never met before. Without any history to draw from, we have to look at what else is happening in each of their respective games right now.

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Rafa tests himself against Duckworth first at the 2019 Australian Open.

Duckworth’s highest men’s singles ranking came back in 2015 when he reached the world number 82 position. We don’t even need to get into Nadal’s ranking history. For much of his career, he has battled back and forth with the likes of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer for the top spot in the sport. The biggest factor for Nadal is still his health.

Is Nadal healthy enough to put on a title-run at the 2019 Australian Open? The matchup with Duckworth is more or less of a chance to test himself. Rafa might have a slightly adapted serve to better accommodate his abdominal and knee issues. And if Nadal appears mobile enough to even match Duckworth’s ability, he must be considered the heavy favorite.

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James Duckworth and Rafael Nadal square off in the round of 128 at the Australian Open. You can find the entire match schedule here on the tournament’s website. Currently, they are set to play at Rod Laver Arena. Check back to see if the former champion Nadal can bounce back and make a run this year or if Duckworth is capable of pulling of the unexpected upset. Action kicks off on both the men’s and women’s sides of the field today.

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