Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal will be looking to get back into a winning groove Getty

Rafael Nadal takes on fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the first round of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, 19 January. The former world No 1 has had a disappointing 2015 and will be looking to bounce back in the first Grand Slam of the year.

Where to Watch Live

Live telecast of the day will start at 12am GMT. Broadcast will be available on Eurosport 1,2 and Eurosport 1,2 HD.

Overview

Nadal bowed out of the tournament last year losing to Czech Tomas Berdych and will be desperate to make a comeback. Nadal started the year on a losing note, defeated comprehensively by Novak Djokovic in the final of the Qatar Open in Doha. Nadal has a brilliant record against Verdasco, leading him 14-2, but the tally at the end of 2015 was 1-1. Verdasco got the better of Nadal in the Miami Open, while Nadal returned the favour in the Hamburg Open later in the year.

Verdasco will not be too perturbed by previous records, given Nadal's form last year after his injury. The duo played out a brilliant game six years ago in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in 2009, which lasted more than five hours. Nadal won the match 6-4 in the final set.

Betting Odds (888Sport)

  • Nadal Win: 1/11
  • Verdasco Win: 15/2

Head to Head

The duo have played each other 16 times, with Nadal leading by an overwhelming margin of 14-2.