TENNIS:IF THE way Rafael Nadal was thrashing the ball across the net at his Spanish friend Feliciano Lopez yesterday was any indication of his intent at Wimbledon, he has shaken off the lethargy that threatened to undermine the defence of his title.

The world number one left Queen’s a deflated figure two weeks ago when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga put him out in the quarters in three sets.

He admitted later, “I’m mentally and physically tired. I am just looking forward to going home to rest, to play some golf, do some fishing, just to get away.”

Yesterday he looked reinvigorated, engaged and ready to cause problems to players a good deal higher in the rankings than the 44th-ranked Lopez.

“I’ve played fantastic rounds of golf,” he said. “Best two weeks of my life in Mallorca. I went out one day for a party with friends. I stay with the family. I spend the weekend with friends, family, relaxing.

“That was something I needed. I had not spent a weekend at home since the Davis Cup against Belgium in February, so I enjoyed it a lot. Monday I started to practise. Tuesday, too. Wednesday I was here practising in the afternoon.”

Nadal should be in good spirits. Although he has lost in four finals this year to Novak Djokovic, he arrives here as the French Open champion, as is usual.

You could see in the strength of his ground strokes in a fierce hit with Lopez there is no residue of tiredness from that campaign.

The switch from clay to grass might be a trickier problem than coping with the physical demands of another two-week engagement, but Nadal relishes that challenge.

“The only problem with grass sometimes is, if you play against a big, big server, the game is too fast. It is not nice to play because for a lot of games you don’t touch the ball. But if you play against a normal player, with a good serve that you can return, the game from the baseline is fantastic to watch and is fantastic to play because you can slice, you can go to the net, you can play aggressive.

“If you play too defensive, it is impossible to play (well) here. But you have different options. I love that.”

Nadal, as Roger Federer pointed out after losing to him in the French Open final, always plays it hard, always puts pressure on his opponent with the power of his tennis. Nadal agrees.

“If you are playing well and if you have the confidence, you are going be closer to the net and you are going to have more chances at the net to finish the point.

Nadal playing without hesitancy is irresistible. His problem this year, however, has been the doubt against Djokovic. The Serb is the first player since Federer at his best to keep Nadal consistently guessing in rallies, not just with the variety of his own game and the power of his ground strokes but with his extraordinary ability to cover ground at the back and remain potent in the shot.

If they meet in the final, it will be the deciding factor in the match. But, as Nadal reminded one inquisitor yesterday, we should make no assumptions about how far anyone progresses in the tournament.

A happy Nadal is a dangerous item. He looks in tremendous shape at just the right time and will be very hard to unseat.

He opens proceedings on Centre Court today and the 33-year-old American Michael Russell has the honour of being on the other side of the net. Russell, ranked 92, is best known, perhaps, for taking Gustavo Kuerten to five sets in the fourth round of the French Open 10 years ago.

With the best will in the world, this might be Russell’s final brush with tennis fame.

Guardian Service