Fuente : Wimbledon
http://www.wimbledon.org

WIMBLEDON: One to Watch: Rafael Nadal

/noticias.info/ Tuesday, 21 June, 2005

Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal begins his Wimbledon campaign on Centre Court today, when he takes on 30-year-old American Vince Spadea.

The 19-year-old, who turned professional in 2001, has this year shot to the combined stardom of tennis ace and young fashion icon. Nadal started 2005 ranked 51 in the world, but after six title wins he now boasts an ATP ranking of 3, behind Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt.

The All England Club presents a different proposition for the 6' 1" (1.85m) left-hander, however. All six titles Nadal has won this year have been won on his favourite surface, clay, including the ATP Masters Series events at Monte Carlo and Rome and the French Open. In winning at Roland Garros, Nadal became the first man since Mats Wilander in 1982 to win the event on his debut. On his way to the title he defeated four seeded players: Roger Federer, Richard Gasquet, Sebastien Grosjean and David Ferrer. In the Australian Open he reached the fourth round.

His game might not be ideally suited to grass, but Nadal has a string of accolades on his side. He is the sixth youngest Grand Slam champion; not since Pete Sampras won the US Open in 1990 has a teenager won a Grand Slam singles title. He is the only player to have beaten Federer twice in the last two seasons. The French Open final was his 24th consecutive match win, which beat Agassi's 1988 run of 23 consecutive matches, and set a new record for winning teenage streaks.

Nadal has been playing tennis since the age of five, with his uncle Toni, who is now his coach. He is based on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, which is also the home of Carlos Moya, and the pair hit when they are both in town.

Grass has not so far been Nadal's best surface, and the 2005 Championships mark only the third grass court tournament of his career. He didn't play at Wimbledon last year because of a stress fracture in his left ankle.

Should Nadal win Wimbledon, he would be the first man to take the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in the same year since Bjorn Borg in 1980.


Written by Sally Easton notas_de_prensa_archivo