Rafael Nadal vs. Juan Martin Del Potro – Fourth Round Preview: Wimbledon Championships 2011
World number 1 and defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain will take on world number 21 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in the fourth round of 2011 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club in London on Monday.
Nadal has reached the fourth round without dropping a set. The Spaniard defeated Luxembourger Gilles Muller in straight sets 7-6(6), 7-6(5), 6-0 in the third wound. While, Del Potro overcame fifteenth seed Gilles Simon of France
in straight sets 7-6(8), 7-6(5), 7-5 to reach the round of 16.
This will be the ninth meeting between Nadal and Del Potro. Nadal leads the Argentinean 5-3 in the head-to-head record. The Spaniard had won first four meetings between these two. After that, Del Potro was the winner in the next
three matches with Nadal finally breaking the losing streak and emerging as the victor in their last meeting.
The Spaniard crushed Del Potro in straight sets 6-4, 6-0 when these two met for the first time in the round of 16 at the Sony Ericsson Open in 2007. In their only previous meeting on grass court, the Spaniard was victorious in
straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in the round of 32 at the Queen’s Club in 2007. The Argentinean inflicted the hardest blow when he thrashed Nadal in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in the semi-finals of the US Open in 2009. The 22-year-old went on to win the title. Nadal
took the revenge as he beat Del Potro in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals of BNP Paribas Open this year.
Nadal is a two time champion at the Wimbledon Championships. The Spaniard ended Roger Federer’s reign at the SW19 when he dethroned the Swiss in five marathon sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 in the title match in 2008. Last
year, the 25-year-old dismissed Czech Tomas Berdych in straight sets 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in the final.
On the other hand, Del Potro has reached the fourth round for the first time at the Wimbledon Championships. The Argentinean lost in the second round in his three previous appearances at the SW19. The six feet and six inches tall
was upset by former champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in straight sets 3-6, 5-7, 5-7 in the second round last year.
Del Potro made a comeback this season after a long layoff due to injury. Nadal said, commenting on Del Potro’s game, "It is always is a big challenge to play against him. He's a very tough opponent and one of the best players of
the world. His ranking is much better than what the ranking says today.”
The Spaniard added, “If we talk about level, when he's healthy, he's a top five player. I'm unlucky to have to play against Del Potro in the round of 16. But that's what it is, and I have to be playing my best tennis to try to
win."
Nadal is currently having a seventeen match unbeaten run at the grass courts of Wimbledon. Del Potro is improving with every match but with Nadal’s current form, the Spaniard is expected to prevail over the Argentinean in four
sets maximum, if not straight.
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