Rafael Nadal has been granted his wish for an early start at Wimbledon on Thursday so he can turn his attention from tennis to soccer and watch Spain’s Euro 2008 semifinal against Russia.
The Spanish second seed opens the action on Court One against promising Latvian Ernests Gulbis in the second round and Nadal will be hoping for a double victory.
Home fans have triple interest on the fourth day of the grass-court Grand Slam. After comfortably beating Fabrice Santoro in the first round, 12th seed Andy Murray faces a man with grass-court pedigree in 2002 Wimbledon semifinalist Xavier Malisse on Centre Court.
Compatriot Chris Eaton, ranked 661st in the world and catapulted to unaccustomed fame by reaching the second round, appears on Court One against 25th seed and Australian Open finalist Dmitry Tursunov.
Having already eliminated Naomi Cavaday, defending champion Venus Williams will look to dispose of another Briton when she plays Anne Keothavong on Centre Court.
This year’s Australian Open winner, Maria Sharapova, should have a straightforward match against fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva on Court One, while second seed Jelena Jankovic plays Spain’s 19-year-old Carla Suarez Navarro, ranked 56th in the world, on Court Two.
Sixth seed Andy Roddick, twice a runner-up here, faces Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic, a man he admires for his tattoos — ”pretty cool” – and his serve, in the third match on Centre Court.
”He actually serves pretty big for someone who is not super tall. If he’s playing well, that’s a lot to deal with,” Roddick said. — Reuters