Rafael Nadal: Why Rafa Could Well Take Down Novak Djokovic at Australian Open

The Australian Open 2012 has finished just two rounds of play, and already fans are getting the best of what Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and the world's best have to offer.

Despite the hype building around No. 1 player in the world Novak Djokovic in this year's Grand Slam, there is no question Rafa Nadal has the potential to beat Djokovic and move one step closer to reclaiming his spot at the top.

Nadal has looked as strong and well-rounded in his game as any player in the tournament. He was able to take down both Alex Kuznetsov (6-4, 6-1, 6-1) and Tommy Haas (6-4, 6-3, 6-4) in straight sets and has broken his opponent in each of those six sets.

However, what makes the feat all the more impressive is that Nadal was down 0-2 in the final set before storming back to a 6-4 victory in his last match against Haas.

The third-set comeback for Nadal in his second-round match against Haas was a testament to his resiliency as well as a reminder to fans of the game that injury has been a non-factor in this tourney.

Entering the tournament, Nadal was said to be suffering from a right knee injury. He played against Kuznetsov with a heavily taped right knee in the victory. 

The two wins for Nadal in this tournament have proven he has made major strides since last season.

In the more recent win over Tommy Haas, Nadal played one of the more efficient games of tennis that he has played as of late.

Nadal was able to pick his spots on the court with his forehand and land balls with the utmost precision, which is something he would do with ease before injuries became a factor last year. He went on to win a whopping 18 of his 22 points at the net while putting up 36 winners and 96 points in the match.

In the slump against No. 1 Djokovic, Nadal was unable to win points on his first serve, finish off break points or challenge Djokovic on his serve, which was essentially a recipe for failure for Nadal.

At this Australian Open, he has been performing with an unmatched resolve that has made for vast improvement in each of these respective facets of his game.

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Nadal has gone on to win 12-of-20 break points, 86 and 75 percent of his points off his first serve in each round and put up points 48 percent of the time when receiving.

Through two matches, Nadal has improved steadily in the several areas of his game that were lacking against Novak Djokovic all of last season.

Given the early success Nadal has had in the first stages of the Australian Open, it's safe to say the Spaniard has the ability to both face and overcome the talented Djoker in the later stages of the men's draw.

Nadal makes a habit of proving he is the most determined player when he steps out on any court. He is an unmatched workhorse that wins matches with significant resiliency.

Nadal has been an unexpected dark horse heading into the tourney and could only be relishing being No. 2 in the game today. It makes the determined talent all the more driven to take home a Grand Slam title and reclaim his spot at the top.

Healthy, focused and as strong as he had been physically all of last season, Nadal boasts the ability to make a joke out of the "Djoker" at Melbourne.