CRISIS OVER, now the real drama can begin. Just under 24 hours after he feared he might have broken a bone in his left foot, Rafael Nadal was back on court yesterday, putting his practice partner through the mill as usual.
An MRI scan after his victory over Juan Martin del Potro showed no serious damage had been done and, barring any late problems, the defending champion will be fit to take his place against Mardy Fish, the last remaining American, in the quarter-finals today.
The thunder and rain that hammered down yesterday meant it was almost 6pm when Nadal was able to set foot back on the grass but he looked happy enough as he traded blows with the 16-year-old Briton, Evan Hoyt. Nadal had not arranged a practice partner but Hoyt, who happened to be in the locker room, gladly accepted the invitation as the former champion, Pat Cash, made way to accommodate them.
Nadal will be the overwhelming favourite when he takes on the number 10 seed Fish, a man he has dropped only one set against in five meetings. Fish has dropped serve just once in the entire tournament and he is in the last eight for the first time in nine attempts. His game is well-suited to grass and his confidence is high.
“I know my style can be successful on these courts,” Fish said. “I think [the key] is not having him take you out of your style of play. Sometimes Rafa can defend so well you don’t attack as much as you probably should. I’ll go into the match knowing my limitations but trying to play as good as I can, because I’ll certainly need to.”
Andy Murray faces a test on Centre Court against the dashing left-handed Spaniard with the biggest serve in the tournament, Feliciano Lopez, who has already delivered 100 aces.
Thereafter is the probable semi-final challenge of beating Nadal, who is both defending the title and guarding a damaged left foot.
Whoever gets there, the final looks like being against either Novak Djokovic, who has resumed his reign of terror, or Federer, who never quite abandoned his quiet version of it.
“To me, the people that are the best prepared and put the work in deserve to be there, to win,” said Murray. “There is that saying, ‘The harder I work, the luckier I get’. If you put everything in on the practice court, then you get a little bit of luck along the way.”
Bookmakers have Murray in the region of 11-2 to emulate Fred Perry as the last Briton to win the men’s singles. However he remains a diffident, though increasingly comfortable, member of tennis’s Big Four.
“I’ve been there for a good three, four years now,” he says. “I’ve been up there with them and won against them quite a lot of times. I’d like to get the chance to win against them in one of these competitions. That would definitely help me.”
Yesterday Murray’s circle of celebrity admirers grew by one when Rory McIlroy came to see him practise at Wimbledon.
Roger Federer turned his arm over in a gentle practice session as he prepared for his match with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
On paper, the Frenchman has the game to trouble the six-times champion but the Swiss knows what to expect.
“I think he’s got the weapons to be a huge threat on grass, make a run here,” said Federer. “It’s a tough draw, but I’m ready for it.”
The remaining quarter-final is between the 18-year-old qualifier Bernard Tomic and number two seed Djokovic. Tomic has been the revelation of the tournament and the Aussie is the youngest quarter-finalist since Boris Becker in 1986.
Guardian Service
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