Following a solid few weeks in South America during the Golden Swing former champion Rafael Nadal is back on American soil, where he will compete at the Indian Wells Masters event. The Spaniard will begin his week against Igor Sijsling, whom he has never encountered previously on the professional tour.

Follow the match Live Here: Nadal vs Sijsling Live Streaming

Rafael Nadal lived up to his billing as the top seed of the Argentina Open, as he worked his way through the draw to eventually lift the crown following a quick final against Juan Monaco. Prior to that, he had lost in the semi-final round in Rio to Fabio Fognini, which snapped a 52-match win streak in semi-final matches on clay.

While this is the first time in a while that the Big Four are all present together at a Masters 1000 event, Nadal told ibtimes.com that he does not make much of that, In fact, he believes their era is actually nearing an end.

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“Novak, Andy, Roger, myself – it’s something special and it’s finishing,” Nadal chimed in. “I don’t know if (it will happen) in one, two, three, four years, but for everybody it finishes, hopefully we created a good example for the next generations.”

The Spaniard will come up against Igor Sijsling, who needed three sets to get past Filip Krajinovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. He struck nine aces, served at 60% and saved 13 break points he faced in the match to close out the contest in one hour and 58 minutes.

This marks the first time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour. Nadal will undoubtedly be the favourite in this encounter and should have little trouble en route to the third round of the tournament.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal in Straight Sets