Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal is yet to win the Shanghai Masters title in his career Getty

Rafael Nadal takes on Victor Troicki in the men's singles second round clash of the 2016 China Open on Wednesday (12 October).

Where to watch live

Match starts at 11am BST. Live coverage of the game will be available in the UK on Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports 3 HD. Click here to watch the match via live stream.

Overview

Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal has not had the best of seasons in 2016 and comes into this clash after a disappointing outing in the recently-concluded China Open, where he lost in the quarter-final to Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov.

The former world number one looked good in China, but his serve would be a cause for concern as he looked vulnerable against Dimitrov in the quarters. Despite registering a career record of 28 Masters 1000 Series titles, the Spaniard is yet to win the Shanghai Masters, coming closest in 2009 where he lost in the final to Nikolay Davydenko.

Nadal's opponent on Wednesday is Serbia's Victor Troicki, who beat Lukas Rosol 6-2, 6-4 to book a place in the second round. Troicki who is currently ranked 31 in the men's ATP roster has won one title this year, at the Apia International Sydney beating Grigor Dimitrov in the final.

Despite his improvement over the years, it is unlikely that Troicki will cause an upset come 12 October.

Betting odds (betfair)

  • Rafael Nadal to win: 2/9
  • Victor Troicki to win: 7/2

Head-to-head

The duo have faced each other five times in ATP tours and Grand slam events in the past with Nadal winning all five encounters. The last time they played against each other was in the final of the 2015 Stuttgart Open, with the Spaniard winning the game 7-6, 6-3.

Shanghai Masters history

Nadal and Troicki have never faced each other in Shanghai.

Rafael Nadal Spain