On May 15, Opelka will play against Nadal in the semifinals of the Masters in Rome. Is Reilly capable of fighting Rafa? Bookmakers have absolutely no doubt about the success of the Spaniard.
Reilly Opelka
Opelka is the 47th racket of the world. He came to the "Masters" in Rome, losing 6 matches in a row. No one expected to see him even in the 3rd round, but the serve works wonders: 18 aces against Gasquet (6-1, 7-5), 23 aces against Musetti (6-4, 6-4), 18 aces against Karatsev (7-6, 6-4) and Delbonis (7-5, 7-6). It is worth noting that none of the opponents could make at least one break.
Rafael Nadal
Nadal is the 3rd racket of the world. In the current season, he has won only one tournament so far (Barcelona), and at the other three (Australian Open, Monte Carlo, Madrid), he was limited to 1/4 finals. In Rome, Rafa started with a difficult victory over Sinner (7-5, 6-4), and in the second round he completely avoided matchballs in the confrontation with Shapovalov: 3-6, 6-4, 7-6. It is worth noting that in the second game, the Spaniard lost 0-3. But in the 1/4 final, Nadal easily defeated Zverev (6-3, 6-4), losing only one game on his serve.
Personal meeting statistics
The guys will meet for the first time.
Interesting facts:
- Before the" Masters " in Rome (2021), Opelka on the ground never got further than the second round.
- The semi-final in Rome (2021) is Reilly's best result in the Masters series.
- Nadal – 9-time winner of the "masters" in Rome (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019).
- Rafa has won 15 of the last 16 matches in Rome.
Forecast from LiveResult.ru
Opelka was very lucky with the tournament grid, but for the first time to reach the semifinals at the Masters without losing a single game on his serve, this is very rare even among TOP players. Nadal, of course, is the favorite in the upcoming meeting, but his game so far leaves much to be desired, so the American will lose with a decent score, and maybe even win a set.