Rafael Nadal could face a "big challenge" in his Australian Open 2017 campaign when the King of Clay meets German teen Alexander Zverev in the third round of the tournament in Melbourne.
Nadal has remained sharp at the Australian Open winning his first two matches of the tournament with remarkable display of his game after fully recovering from a left wrist injury. The 14-time Grand Slam winner yet again showed a masterful performance in his second round match against Marcos Baghdatis, defeating the Cypriot, 6-3 6-1 6-3.
"I feel my body has no injuries now, I suffered injuries in my career, I've had lots of success and lots of memories from where I have played. I can't complain. I am trying to enjoy every moment I am on court," Nadal said, reports the Telegraph.
It has been a long while since Nadal won a major title, and with Novak Djokovic out of the Australian Open after a stunning defeat in the hands of Denis Istomin, the Spaniard has a great chance of adding another crown to his 14 Grand Slam singles titles. However, any of those hopes will be tested when Nadal faces Zverev, who cruised past USA's Frances Tiafoe 6-2 6-3 6-4 to move into the next round.
Nadal leads Zverev one game in their FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup, having beaten the 19-year-old German in first and only faceoff at the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells last year. While Nadal has the numbers against Zverev, the Spaniard believes it could be a "big challenge" for him.
"It will be a big challenge for me. He is a potential grand slam winner. He's a big talented player. He's improving in every moment he's on the tour. He can be a future world No 1," Nadal said.
Nadal or Zverev could face the winner between sixth-seeded Gael Monfils and 32nd seed Philipp Kohlschreiber in Round of 16. Monfils defeated Alexander Dolgopolov 6-3 6-4 1-6 6-0, while Kohlschreiber won over Donald Young, 7-5 6-3 6-0.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch Australian Open 2017 Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev live via AusOpen.com or Watch ESPN. Live scores will be available during game days at the Australian Open's official website.