Nicolas Almagro has claimed that his Australian Open quarter-final match against fellow Spaniard David Ferrer will be a "big fight".
Almagro, 27, who is currently ranked six places below Ferrer at 11th in the world, has never progressed beyond the last eight at a Grand Slam.
He has also never beaten Ferrer, despite playing him on 12 previous occasions.
"I never beat him, but maybe here will be the first time," said Almagro. "It will be a good fight.
"I know him and he knows me. We never played in a Grand Slam and it's a big opportunity for me to make a semi-final.
"I need to be ready for a big fight."
The winner of the all-Spanish encounter will face either Novak Djokovic, Stanislas Wawrinka or Tomas Berdych in the last four.
Written by
Robert Summerscales
Robert Summerscales
