Carlos Moya: "Rafa will die on the pitch".

As the eagerly-awaited clash between Alexander Zverev and Rafael Nadal continues to draw ever closer, Carlos Moya has turned up the heat. In comments relayed by ATP, Rafael Nadal's coach set the scene: Rafa is ready.

While many specialists have difficulty in seeing the Majorcan topple Zverev, who recently won the title in Rome, Moya is expecting a very interesting match. The last time we heard Nadal's coach say something like this was before his match against De Minaur in Madrid. At the time, he explained that the duel would be nothing like the one seen in Barcelona. The result was edifying, with Nadal beating De Minaur in two sets (7-6, 6-3).

Clearly confident about his protégé's physical level, the Spanish coach declared: "There are no brakes left. Rafa is going to die on the court. He'll be at 100%, giving his all. We're entering a new situation: five-set matches. He hasn't had this experience for two years, but we think he's ready.

If anything happens to him, it won't be because of a lack of training or matches. It'll be overwork that his body hasn't been able to cope with, but we have guarantees that nothing will happen."