UK: Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams rate their chances before Wimbledon while Andy Murray hopes to be fit to play

Record ID: 699425

  • Title: UK: Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams rate their chances before Wimbledon while Andy Murray hopes to be fit to play
  • Date: 23rd June 2007
  • Summary: GROUND STAFF PULLING COVERS ONTO COURTS
  • Embargoed: 8th July 2007 13:00
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  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA5TIS0IBW6X227LBARGQX2EM8I
  • Story Text: Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick and Serena Williams are happy with their form before Wimbledon, while former Wimbledon Champion Maria Sharapova says she is still not exactly where she wants to be. Second seed Rafael Nadal, who won his third successive French open title earlier this month, faces Mardy Fish in the first round of Wimbledon Grand Slam, starting on Monday (June 25).
    "Well he is a very good player, he is a good player and especially on the fast surface he plays very good he has a very good serve and volley and it's going to be a hard match. It's not the best first round, it's difficult, very difficult first round," said the Spaniard.
    The king of clay confounded all the pundits at Wimbledon last year by reaching the final where he gave Federer some anxious moments before losing in four sets.
    The 21-year-old Spaniard's heavy topspin game appears ill-suited to grass but these days, with the courts more bouncy than in Borg's golden era, he will believe he can muscle his way through the draw again.
    "Well, I arrive here playing good. I was play well for the last month, playing my best tennis. But true here is one of my favourite tournaments. I love play on grass. The true is probably for my style of game, is the most difficult Grand Slam for me, no?," Nadal told reporters.
    Unlike most of his countrymen, Nadal does not approach Wimbledon's manicured lawns like a man confronted by a rattlesnake and it would be ill-advised to dismiss out of hand his chances of becoming Spain's first Wimbledon champion since Manuel Santana in 1966.
    Serena Williams said nobody will be able to beat her at Wimbledon this year if she hits top form.
    The American, looking for a third singles crown at the All England Club, is seeded only seventh this year but no one will be taking her lightly, particularly after she clinched her eighth grand slam title in Australia this year.
    "I mean tennis has always been a priority in my life. And right now, it's the same priority. The fact that I'm feeling good and that I'm not suffering any injuries right now, it makes it easier to make it a priority because you don't have to like, go out and be in so much pain while you're playing or anything. It just shows the dedication I have for myself and the sport of tennis," said the former Wimbledon Champion.
    Serena missed last year's Wimbledon through injury and was beaten by fellow American Jill Craybas in the third round in 2005.
    Serena faces Spain's Lourdes Dominguez Lino in the first round while 23rd seed Venus is up against Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia.
    For the first time women's prize money at All England Club is equal to the men's.
    "70s was a while ago. I wasn't even born then. It's taken this long to have equal prize money now at Wimbledon. I think it's a step in the right direction I mean just for not only the tennis but just for women's sports, for women all around," said the American.
    Andy Roddick carries American hopes at Wimbledon and says he feels confident, despite knowing Roger Federer is again blocking his path.
    American men's tennis has been in the doldrums since Roddick won the U.S. Open in 2003. It reached a new low at Roland Garros this year when all nine starters were knocked out in the first round.
    Roddick, runner-up to Federer in 2004 and 2005 and also beaten by him in the 2003 semi-final, suffered a third round defeat by Andy Murray here last year when his career appeared to be in decline.
    However, after hiring former number one Jimmy Connors as coach, the big-serving American appears to be back on track, winning the Queen's Club title for the fourth time last week.
    "It feels good to be back here and it feels good to be back here feeling you're playing good tennis. Last year was pretty forgettable for me. I felt like I was kind of limping in. This year has a little bit of a different feeling," said Roddick.
    After losing to Igor Andreev in Paris last month, he said all his thoughts quickly turned to the grass.
    "I feel like I'm able to maybe very it up a little bit more with my chipping. I'm a little bit more comfortable at the net. The Wimbledon runs before, I played good tennis as well, but I feel as prepared as I have for this tournament."
    Roddick opens his seventh Wimbledon quest against fellow American Justin Gimelstob.
    British number one Andy Murray said he would make a final decision on his fitness for Wimbledon on Monday (June 25)but was confident of playing.
    The 20-year-old Scot, seeded eighth for the grasscourt grand slam, missed the French Open and Wimbledon warm-up events because of a wrist tendon injury sustained in Hamburg in May.
    "I don't think it's a hard decision. If I don't feel I'm fit enough to play and give a hundred percent, then I won't play. You know, I'm not going to stress about it. If my wrist isn't right, it's not right. But you know, I'm hoping that is going to be okay. I put in a lot of hard work the last five and a half weeks to try and get it ready. You know, I wouldn't want to waste all that work by going out and doing something stupid," said Murray.
    He said he had made good progress in the last few days and expected to be ready for his first round match against Ecuador's Nicola Lapentti.
    Wimbledon without Murray would be a huge blow for home crowds as he represents Britain's only realistic chance of a challenger for the title. But he said that was not a factor.
    "Yeah I've spoken to the doctor a few times about it, physio that I've been working. And they are pretty confident that I can't reinjure it, which is great," he said.
    Murray said he was still suffering a little pain when hitting the ball at full power.
    Russia's Maria Sharapova, the second seed and 2004 champion, plays Chinese Taipei's Chan Yung-jan in the first round.
    Sharapova lost to Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in the Birmingham Classic final on grasscourt last Sunday.
    "Some days are better than others. I'm still not exactly where I want to be. But I've said that in the last few weeks and I've been able to play good and steady. I'm happy that I got to play. My goal in Birmingham was to play as many matches as I can and I did that. After playing that many matches in a couple of days, my shoulder held up well. That was a really good sign. Its always good to get a few days off, just practice on the courts here before we start," Sharapova told reporters.
    Sharapova's gaze will already have fallen on the fourth round where she could play American three-times winner Venus Williams.
    Should she come through that section the Russian is looking at a quarter-final against compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova and a semi-final against defending champion Amelie Mauresmo.
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