Surprise man Hanfmann meets superstar Nadal

On the whole, German tennis fans can be quite satisfied with the first day at the Australian Open 2022. The balance is positive and with the 30-year-old qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, there was even a positive surprise that was by no means to be expected. As a reward, an absolute top match now awaits the German outsider in the second round – Yannick Hanfmann challenges Rafael Nadal.

Of course, there is no question of who is the favourite in this match, but the 2009 Australian Open winner is considered the house favourite. This is also illustrated by the betting odds for Hanfmann against Nadal, which are a maximum of 1.03 in the case of a favourite victory. Such a bet is by no means profitable, but there are nevertheless interesting betting opportunities for this unequal match.

For Yannick Hanfmann, reaching the second round of a Grand Slam tournament is already the biggest success in his career. He can play completely liberated and possibly annoy the big favourites a little without any pressure.

Yannick Hanfmann – Statistics & current form

Hotter than frittenfett is how a well-known German-language Facebook page described Yannick Hanfmann’s first-round opponent. Indeed, the often injury-plagued Thanasi Kokkinakis presented himself in convincing manner in the last two weeks, but there was no sign of that in the first round. From the beginning, the 30-year-old German was able to take command and was clearly the better player. After only 2:07 hours, the match was over and the current number 126 in the ATP world rankings was able to enjoy his biggest victory in his already advanced career.

Hanfmann brimming with confidence

Kokkinakis would probably have benefited from an extra day’s rest after his tournament win in Adelaide, but Hanfmann had also had to work hard in the last few days, after all he needed to qualify to play in the main event. The Australian Open 2022 is his second participation in the “Happy Slam” and his seventh GS tournament overall. Until 17 January 2022, he had been denied a victory at this level, but with his first-ever appearance in the second round, the veteran will climb up the world rankings and gradually move towards the top 100.

After Hanfmann showed strong nerves in the qualification (he won twice in a tiebreak in rounds two and three), he was particularly strong in his service in the main draw. He fended off all eight break opportunities and even managed to take the service from Kokkinakis five times. With a strong serve and the knowledge that he can play his best tennis in tight situations, it is much easier to play. Even the vocal crowd did not faze the 30-year-old.

Regardless of the outcome of his second-round match, the conclusion of the trip to Down Under is extremely positive. The match against the co-favourite Rafael Nadal can be described as an absolute bonus, he has nothing to lose in this match. Of course, a win is unlikely, but Hanfmann against Nadal does offer some interesting betting opportunities. With his strong serve, a game handicap of 8.5 games seems to be very high.

Rafael Nadal – Statistics & current form

For more than four months, the now 35-year-old Rafael Nadal had to take a break before he celebrated his comeback at the invitation tournament in the United Emirates. The long break from competition was clearly visible and with defeats against Murray and Shapovalov, the result was by no means positive. A little later, there was the shock of a positive Corona test. An ideal preparation certainly looks different.

Tournament victory in Melbourne

Nadal, by his own admission, lay completely for three days and was limp for four more. He himself cannot currently assess his physical condition, both because of the injury and because of the illness. Throughout his career, Nadal was a player who always had to struggle with injuries, but never let them get him down. He confirms this this year as well, because the tournament victory in Melbourne was by no means to be expected. The Majorcan did not even have to drop a set.

Thanks to a very strong forehand and 32 winners, even his first-round opponent Marcos Giron was no real task for the 2009 Australian Open winner. After two quarter-final defeats at the Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne, Nadal does not want to look too far ahead yet, despite the strong results.

Single remaining AO winner

His foot injury no longer seems to handicap him, at least externally, as Nadal moved very roundly and only had to fend off two break chances in the entire match. He himself converted five of his nine chances and thus has the same record as Hanfmann against Kokkinakis. However, Hanfmann is considered to be a stronger server and therefore a forecast of over 29.5 games is a good option for Hanfmann against Nadal. With his self-confidence, the German should be able to make the match tighter – at least at times.

After Djokovic’s exit, Nadal is the only remaining Australian Open winner in the men’s competition. For the bookmakers, Nadal is considered number three behind Medvedev and Zverev when it comes to the question of who will win the title in 2022.

Yannick Hanfmann – Rafael Nadal Direct comparison / H2H record

Head to Head: 0:1

In fact, there is already a duel between these two players to be found in the database, unsurprisingly this was won by the Mallorcan superstar Rafael Nadal. In his second living room, the clay court at Roland Garros, the best clay court player of all time had no problems with the German and only allowed him six games in the first round.

Yannick Hanfmann – Rafael Nadal Tip

After the draw, Australian fans were already looking forward to a top match between Kokkinakis and Nadal, but they did not count on German Yannik Hanfmann. The 30-year-old underlined his strong form and will go into the match against the Mallorcan superstar with this self-confidence in his luggage. A win is by no means realistic and certainly with Hanfmann against Nadal, the low odds prediction of a 3-0 for Nadal is quite likely.

Despite this, our betting recommendation is that the German underdog will win at least one set. Why? Hanfmann is in excellent shape, can play freely and has nothing to lose. In addition, he is a strong server and will get more free points here than was the case with Giron. Nadal plays strongly and can count on his forehand, but after the long break, fluctuations are not uncommon. Especially when there is a bit of resistance from a player in good form. A short phase of weakness could therefore be enough for this tip to be correct for Hanfmann against Nadal. A 3.10 also seems to be too high and provides great value accordingly.