Rafael Nadal learned Tuesday evening that he will play Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs in the first round of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.
It will be the first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the pair. They will play on Thursday along with the rest of the bottom half of the Rome men's singles draw.
Nadal has tallied a 6-3 record this season, most recently competing in Madrid, where the Spaniard won three matches to advance to the fourth round at the ATP Masters 1000 event. At the Caja Magica Nadal defeated Alex de Minaur, the No. 11 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, in straight sets.
The 37-year-old has plenty of experience at the Foro Italico, where he has claimed a record 10 titles and earned a 69-8 record.
World No. 108 Bergs has played two Masters 1000 main draw matches in his career, including one two weeks ago in Madrid. While he is making his Rome debut, the Belgian will take confidence from his recent ATP Challenger Tour triumph in Tallahassee, Florida.
The 24-year-old has also played elite competition already this year. Bergs won a set against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Australian Open, faced Andrey Rublev in Rotterdam and beat Marin Cilic in Davis Cup action.
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