Nadal doubt lifts Murray's chances for Wimbledon

Published on Tuesday 9 June 2009 22:52

ANDY Murray kicks off his grasscourt season today as the No1 seed at the Aegon Championships in London, a result of the withdrawal through injury of defending champion Rafael Nadal.

It is the first time the Scot has been top seed at a major tournament – but he was No 2 seed at Dubai earlier in the year, and could also occupy that position at Wimbledon if Nadal fails to recover on time.

Given his current form, Murray, the world No 3, will be confident of his chances against anyone at the All-England Club. But if he is seeded to reach the final it will mean he is in the opposite half of the draw from five-time former champion Roger Federer. And if world No 4 Novak Djokovic is in the same half as Federer, Murray's run to the final will suddenly look a lot clearer.

Murray, who expects Nadal to defend his title, said yesterday: "The thing with the grass at Wimbledon is there's not as many players who play as well on it. I've definitely got a chance to win Wimbledon, but two of the best ever players are playing so I'll have to be at my best to come through against those two."

First of all, of course, the 22-year-old will have to get up to speed on tennis's fastest surface this week at the Queen's Club. In common with the leading four seeds he was given a bye into the second round, where this afternoon he will meet Andreas Seppi of Italy, who beat America's Robby Ginepri in his opening match.

Murray should be too strong for Seppi, but he then faces a demanding run if he is to reach the final, with Gael Monfils, Marat Safin and Andy Roddick all scheduled to meet him. The tougher the contests this week, however, the quicker Murray will get into condition for the Wimbledon fortnight, and he is approaching this tournament in a very upbeat frame of mind.

"The grass-court season has always been good fun for me," he said. "The Queen's Club tournament has an unbelievable history and it's the perfect preparation for Wimbledon. Playing on grass presents a different sort of challenge to the rest of the season and it's a good marker for me to see where my game's at."

Murray's optimism is in marked contrast to Nadal's mental state. The Spaniard, who beat Federer in last year's Wimbledon final, has been having problems with both knees, and lost unexpectedly to Robin Soderling in the fourth round of the French Open.

Nadal announced on his website yesterday that he would do everything possible to be fit in time for Wimbledon, but also admitted he would not turn up on court unless he felt absolutely ready. After the way in which his knee problems have dragged on, it appears unlikely that he will be ready for a tournament which begins in only 12 days.

"I will give 200 per cent to be at 100 per cent for the most important date in world tennis," Nadal said yesterday. "I will not go out and play on any court, let alone Centre Court at Wimbledon, if I am not 100 per cent.

"I have two difficult weeks ahead of me, especially because I won't be doing what I like doing most, which is to play tennis. I will be working on my recovery through physiotherapy treatments as well as recovery work on the specific muscular area."

Nadal plans to travel to London next Tuesday, and he will give himself until the last minute before making a final decision. The extraordinary demands he has been making on his body have taken their toll however, and he admitted he had been playing through the pain over recent months.

"The pain was limiting certain movements in my body, which affected me mentally as well," he added. Nadal has been diagnosed with tendinitis in both quadricep tendons as well as a small amount of fluid on the kneecaps.

The absence of the world No 1 from Wimbledon will no doubt make all leading contenders fancy their chances more, but Federer, who was denied a sixth successive title by the Spaniard last year, said it was "frightening" to think of the championships going ahead without the Mallorcan. "I don't like to see it, because you want the best to be playing in the biggest events," the new French Open champion said. "I only wish him the best and I hope it's not true that he will miss Wimbledon."

Federer himself withdrew from his traditional grass-court warm-up at Halle in Germany yesterday, citing the emotional whirlwind since his triumph in Paris. Federer, who has won five times in Halle said: "I am sorry to announce that I have decided to withdraw from this week's Gerry Weber Open in Halle.

"I sincerely apologise to the tournament organisers, my competitors, and my fans in Germany.

"I only hope they will understand that I still feel emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted by the incredible events of the past few days.

"It is hard for me to admit, but I simply cannot imagine giving my best effort in another tournament right away and I don't want to risk injury if I am not 100 per cent prepared. I need to rest and recuperate."