Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal is eyeing his fourth Madrid Open title for a record fourth time in his career. Reuters

Rafael Nadal takes on Juan Monaco in the second round of the 2014 Mutua Madrid Open at the Manolo Santana, Spain, on Wednesday.

Where to Watch Live

The match is set to begin at 2:15pm BST. Live coverage will be on Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports 3 HD. Real-time internet updates and live streaming link are available on ATP's official website.

Overview

Defending Madrid Open champion Nadal kick-starts this year's campaign at the Spanish capital directly in the second round courtesy of his number one ranking.

The Spaniard will be hoping to put behind last month's disappointing run and find his winning form once again. After failing to to make it to the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters for the first time in 10 years, Nadal failed in his quest to win the Barcelona Open title for the ninth time in his career.

The 27-year-old will be desperate to bounce back as he looks to become the first player to successfully defend his title in Madrid.

Meanwhile, Nadal's second round opponent, Monaco, began his campaign with a victory against Jurgen Melzer. The 56<sup>th ranked Argentinean needed 68 minutes to beat his 32-year-old Austrian opponent, 6-4, 6-3, in straight sets on Tuesday.

The winner of this match will face the winner between 57th ranked, Jarkko Nieminen and 59th ranked, Igor Sijsling in the third round on Thursday.

Head-To-Head

Nadal holds a 4-1 lead over Monaco in overall meetings. The duo have faced each other once in a Grand Slam event and the Spaniard emerged triumphant on that occasion.

Mutua Madrid Open History

Nadal and Monaco have never been drawn against each other in Madrid.

Rafael Nadal