Tennis-Yannick Hanfmann v Rafa Nadal

YANNICK HANFMANN

Age: 27

ATP Ranking: 184 (Highest ranking: 99)

Grand Slam titles: None

2018 French Open performance: Eliminated in qualifiers

Best French Open performance: No previous main draw appearance

Hanfmann may be 27 but he turned professional only four years ago after helping University of Southern California to two national titles. He has never advanced to the second round at a grand slam.

The German is up against the 11-times champion Nadal but may not be perturbed by a potentially vociferous crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier as, by his own admission in a recent interview, he is partially deaf and plays with a hearing aid.

2-RAFAEL NADAL

Age: 32

ATP Ranking: 2 (Highest ranking: 1)

Grand Slam titles: 17 (Australian Open 2009; French Open 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018; Wimbledon 2008, 2010; U.S. Open 2010, 2013, 2017)

2018 French Open performance: Winner

Best French Open performance: Winner (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018)

Nadal is chasing a record-extending 12th French Open title this year but hit some patchy form in the run-in prior to returning to his favourite hunting ground.

He was eliminated in the semi-finals of the clay court tournaments in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid but he eventually upped the ante at the Italian Open where he beat world number one Novak Djokovic in the final.

Head-to-head: This is the first meeting between the two players. (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)