Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (Photo : Getty Images)
Ever dream of another final confrontation between mortal rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer? Well, the two are just two games away from booking another match. On Friday, two of the most decorated players in tennis history are set to play another round of tough competitions with tickets in the semifinal round on the line.
Rafael Nadal vs. Stan Wawrinka at 7:00 p.m US ET on Tennis Channel, Sky Sports / Live Stream on ESPN Watch, Stream Hunter / Scores & Stats on Pro Tennis Live
On the line: Nadal is coming off a huge victory over rising superstar Dominic Thiem in the third round. Although the King of Clay finished off the Austrian in straight sets, the match nevertheless exposed some flaws in Nadal's game that he needs to rectify 24 hours later if he wants to progress in the tournament.
Stanislas Wawrinka also has something to say in this tournament, being the reigning French Open winner. Wawrinka will enter into quarterfinal showdown with Nadal in high morale after crushing Giles Simon of France 6-1, 6-2 in the third round.
Toppling Nadal anew would further boost Wawrinka's confidence as he prepares for his Roland Garros defense. On the other hand, Rafa will as well benefit from playing a top-notch netter like Wawrinka as he can gauge where he is at right now five weeks before the French Open.
Prediction & Predicted Winner: Expect a furious toe-to-toe showdown between Nadal and Wawrinka. Both excellent clay-court players, the winner will be the one who controls the flow of the match. I see Wawrinka attacking Rafa from the get-go, trying to zap all the momentum the Spaniard is bringing into the match.
However, based on his performance the last two matches, this version of Nadal is somehow showing the kind of killer instinct that made him successful in the past. He's not there yet, but I think it's enough for him to overcome Wawrinka in two sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Roger Federer vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at 9:00 p.m US ET on Tennis Channel / Live Stream on ESPN Watch, Stream Hunter/ Score & Stats on Pro Tennis Live
On the line: Federer is beginning to peak it up at the right time. He was roughly two months away from the tour, and yet Federer managed to reach the quarterfinal round of a Masters 1000 tournament. Meanwhile, Jo-Wilfried is once again looking for another key victory that would make him a relevant contender ahead of Roland Garros.
Prediction & Predicted Winner: Beating Federer isn't much a stretch for Tsonga. The Frenchman defeated the former world's no.1 player five out of 16 head-to-head encounters, including a final win at the 2014 Canadian Open. Moreover, Tsonga should be considered the favorite in this particular match simply because he's the healthier guy.
Then again, despite the advantages Tsonga has heading into the quarterfinal match with Federer, there's a part of me that says the Swiss is going to win in straight sets. I'll stick with my gut-feeling, Federer 6-4, 6-3.
