It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good and, much as Roger Federer and Andy Murray would have been saddened to hear the news that Rafael Nadal, the champion, had decided to pull out of Wimbledon, both may feel destiny tugging at their sleeves because of it.
Federer will think his chances of winning a record-breaking 15th grand slam title have increased significantly in Nadal's absence while Murray, who had been in the same half of the draw, will also regard it as a huge window of opportunity to reach his first Wimbledon final and perhaps become the first British men's player since Fred Perry in 1936 to take the title.
Nadal's knee troubles, mostly described as tendinitis, although nobody is absolutely sure, have been with him for many months. He said the decision to pull out and not defend his title was "one of the toughest of my career". He had previously withdrawn from the Aegon championships at Queen's, where he was also champion last year, and arrived in London earlier this week, playing an exhibition match against Australia's Lleyton Hewitt on Thursday when it became obvious that all was not well, and that Wimbledon was in doubt.
Yesterday afternoon the world No1 played a second exhibition game against Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka and, although it appeared he was moving a little more freely, Nadal was clearly not prepared to commit himself to the stresses and strains of a grand slam fortnight. "It is tough for me but I don't feel I am ready to play a tournament as important as Wimbledon. I tried everything to arrive in my best condition. Today was my last chance but I was not close to my best."
Nadal said his knees had worsened during the Madrid Masters event in May when he was beaten by Federer in the final, just before the French Open. He then lost in the fourth round in Paris to Sweden's Robin Soderling, his first ever defeat at Roland Garros where he was attempting to win the title for a record fifth successive time. "I have been making the effort to play week after week but in Madrid I knew what I had. The truth is that all sportsmen play with pain and you really don't know the limit or where you can get. I have reached the limit."
Nadal had a serious foot problem during 2005 and missed the next year's Australian Open. It was thought to be career threatening but he recovered, winning his second French Open. Since then the knees have been a constant issue, which he has attempted to control through physiotherapy, medication and periods of rest. He pulled out of last year's end-of-season Tennis Masters Cup and then won the Australian Open for the first time this year, defeating Federer in the final. But this success clearly took its toll.
That said, Nadal won clay-court tournaments in Monte Carlo, Barcelona andRome in the build-up to Roland Garros."It's not a chronic problem and I can recover for sure and have a long career," said the Spaniard, who indicated that while it was not a physical risk to play Wimbledon, he was struggling mentally because he was not 100%. "It is painful for me not to be able to play. Maybe I have made mistakes in the calendar, which I must learn from. I will try to come back as soon as possible. At the moment I am thinking more about my knees than my game."
Nadal had reached the Wimbledon final for the last three years, all against Federer, finally winning last year in a match that has been described as the greatest ever. He took over as the world No1 from Federer last August but the Swiss could now regain top place again if he were to win the title for a sixth time and thereby break Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles.
Instead of having Nadal as a possible semi-final opponent, the highest seed in Murray's half is now Argentina's Juán Martín del Potro, the world No5, who has only ever won two matches at the All England Club. Murray spent the day go-karting, a present from his team when he turned 22 during the Madrid Masters last month. He has yet to pass his driving test but hugely enjoys hurling himself around the track, much in the same fashion that his many fans will want to see him performing at the All England Club when the championships begin on Monday. From go-karting to"Go, Andy".
The saga of Nadal's knee left everybody in a state of uncertainty and some agitation for much of yesterday, with Murray distanced from it all. His first-round opponent is the American Robert Kendrick, whom he has beaten on three occasions, including a 6-0,6-0 victory on the grass at Newport, Rhode Island, three years ago. Murray steadfastly refuses to look beyond the first match of anymajor, though he cannot but be affected by Nadal's withdrawal. He would not be human if he was not.
Anne Keothavong, having risen this year into the top 50, may feel a little extra weight of expectation as she heads a six-pronged British ladies challenge, five of them wild cards, which includes 15-year-old Laura Robson, making her senior major debut. Last year's junior champion is the youngest player in the draw since Switzerland's Martina Hingis in 1995 and the youngest British player in the modern era. She also has an extremely tough opening match against the experienced though often volatile Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, the world No33. Keothavong looks to have a reasonably easy opening match against Austria's Patricia Mayr.
