Wimbledon 2011: Rafael Nadal v Mardy Fish Preview and Odds

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal will take on Mardy Fish in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon 2011.

It was not the easiest of the matches for Rafael Nadal in the fourth round but that he battled pain and came through a winner speaks volumes about his tenacity. Nadal will be looking to win his third Wimbledon title, after having won in 2008 and 2010 but to do that he will need to overcome the American Mardy Fish in the quarter-finals.

Nadal will be looking to become the first ever man since Bjorn Borg to win the Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year on three occasions. Fish, the tenth seeded player in this tournament, stands in his way.

Fish’s entry into the quarter-final was less spectacular than Nadal’s alright, but that was because he wasted not too much time in disposing off the last year’s finalist, Tomas Berdych in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-4. He has yet to win an ATP title this season and being up against Nadal is not going to make his task easy.

Despite the obvious injury issues, Nadal has been cleared in the MRI scans and will be playing this match. He had a struggle in the previous encounter but he will take inspiration from his 5-0 record that he holds over Fish in previous encounters.

This would have been a cakewalk on most occasions but I am a tad apprehensive because of the fitness concerns. This is why, the odds of 1/5 for a Nadal win are not as attractive as the 49/10 for Fish to enter the semi-final.