Live shortly from Beijing, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal clash for the 45th time with the China Open title on the line! Is Nadal the man to shatter Djokovic's unbeaten record in Beijing?
A tale of two halves makes this upcoming duel even more intriguing than it would otherwise be.
Novak Djokovic, world no. 1 and defending champion at three Grand Slams, has had his most dominant year thus far during 2015. Winning pretty much everything that matters, he has compiled a stunning 63-5 win/loss record on the season. He's looking for his sixth title at a tournament where he is now an incredible 28 wins to 0 losses lifetime.
Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, has been a leading story throughout this year for contrasting reasons. Entering the the season off the back of an injury-wrecked 2014, the current world no. 8 has endured a dipping and rising journey that has failed to hit the heights of old. Post losing in the Australian Open quarter-finals, Nadal would only reach that stage at a major one more time: at the French Open, where his campaign for a phenomenal tenth title was abruptly halted by a certain Novak Djokovic.
Nadal has won three titles this year, one on each surface. Yet that doesn't hold a candle to Djokovic's seven - especially as the highest calibre event that the Spaniard has attained is a tier below the Serbian's collection of Masters 1000s. He has confessed to issues with his nerves, and we have seen for ourselves a game that lacks the consistent edge it once had – one that took him to the top of the rankings multiple times over.
Yet despite the drama, doom and gloom, Nadal has not had a terrible year. Yes, it has been disappointing by his standards. Gutting, even. But the 29-year-old is still in prime position (seventh on the solid rankings) to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals in London - a tournament designed specifically to field the eight best players of the year.
Not only will a win on Sunday make his participation in London near-certain, the triumph would do wonders for Nadal's confidence. He hasn't beaten any of his fellow Big Four members since his return to tour this year, and has fallen to Djokovic twice – both times in straight sets, both times on big stages, and both times on clay.
The Majorcan still champions their history-leading 44 meeting head-to-head by a slim 23 wins to 21. He also won their most recent meeting prior to this season, a four set French Open final triumph in 2014.
Their last four meetings have been on clay, with the most recent non-dirt clash being the Miami final in 2014. Novak won that one by a routine 6-3 6-3 scoreline, and also the two hard-court duels before that. Each one ending in a 6-3 6-4 result, the first of these was, incidentally, played in the China Open final of 2013.
Overall, Djokovic leads Nadal by a whopping 13 wins to 6 on hard courts. But if ever Nadal needed a win over the reigning champion, it's now. A breakthrough 7-5 6-3 win over 2015 nemesis Fabio Fognini in the previous round might be just what he needs to push through.
His opponent, meanwhile, didn't hit top form in his somewhat strange 6-2 6-3 dismissal of David Ferrer. But does that compliment the ability of the Serb, that he can still win so dominantly whilst underwhelming? Or does it open the doors of opportunity a little wider for Rafael Nadal?
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will face off for the China Open crown on Sunday from 7.30pm local time (12.30pm BST.)