Nadal vs Medvedev: prediction for the Australian Open final

Rafael Nadal had a rather confident Australian Open campaign. At this tournament, he defeated such opponents as Marcos Giron, Yannick Hanfmann, Karen Khachanov, Adrian Mannarino, and Matteo Berrettini.

Rafa's most difficult match at the current major was against Denis Shapovalov. The Spaniard made almost no mistakes and dominated the first 2,5 sets. But then suddenly he needed treatment for a stomach ailment, which has shifted the momentum. In the end, Nadal prevailed in five sets (6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3).

If Nadal wins, he will claim his 21st Grand Slam title and break the record. 

This is the second Australian Open final in a row for Daniil Medvedev. The Russian had an easy start at the current tournament, claiming victories over Henri laaksonen, Nick Kyrgios, and Botic Van De Zandschulp. 

He struggled a bit against the big server Maxime Cressy and had a very intense battle against Felix Auger Aliassime in the quarter-final. Medvedev came from two sets down to defeat the Canadian (6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4). In the semi-final, just like last year, the Russian played against Stefanos Tsitsipas (7-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1).

This could be the second Gram Slam victory for Medvedev. He won his first major in September 2020.