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Australian Open: who will Rafael Nadal face in the finals?

By Harry Floyd

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 24: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a backhand in his Men's Singles Semi Final match during day 11 of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 24: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a backhand in his Men's Singles Semi Final match during day 11 of the 2019 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 24, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) /
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Australian Open action in men’s singles reaches the finals later this week. We already know Rafael Nadal is in, but who will he face?

Rafael Nadal secures his place in the 2019 Australian Open finals. The 2009 men’s singles champion seeks his second title at the major tournament. The Australian Open is the only of the four slams that Nadal has not won at least two titles at. The big question though is… who will take on Rafa in the finals?

Novak Djokovic is the current world number one, top seed at Melbourne Park, and is a six-time champion in men’s singles there. On paper, Nole is the heavy favorite moving forward.

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Djokovic takes on young French tennis star Lucas Pouille in the second of the two semifinals matches. Pouille is coming off of a win over veteran great Milos Raonic in the quarters. Djokovic is fresh off of an easy win over Kei Nishikori who retired in the second set.

All signs point to Djokovic. The younger Pouille is making a splash this year at the Australian Open but he needs all the help he can get against the world number one.

Prior to action at the 2019 Australian Open, Djokovic topped the list of OUR TOP FIVE FAVORITES in men’s singles at Melbourne Park. It is only fitting that he is this close to yet another final and potential title. If he faces Nadal, the second seed, the men’s draw would setup the chalk matchup for the title. Plus, the fans would love it.

As it stands, Nadal has not dropped a single set. He would be considered a favorite over Pouille but he just may be a favorite over Djokovic too. Is Nadal the new frontrunner at the Australian Open? He sure is playing like it.

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We predict that Djokovic will advance past Pouille to face Nadal in the Australian Open finals. The Serbian great is the current Wimbledon and US Open champion. He is the world number one and has an unprecedented record of success at Melbourne Park. If Djokovic meets Rafa next, he has a chance to stand alone with seven men’s singles titles at the Australian Open, passing Roger Federer who he is tied at six with. Stay tuned to see how the action unfolds.

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