Rafael Nadal will face some tough early tests at Wimbledon in 2010 as the draws for The Championships were released Friday.
Nadal, the world No. 1 but Wimbledon’s No. 2 seed behind six-time champion Roger Federer, opens against the tough Japanese star Kei Nishikori, ranked No. 204 but ranked as high as No. 56 and playing good tennis after returning to tour from an elbow injury.
Lurking in the second round for Nadal is former top 10 star James Blake of the United States, who has been struggling with injury and confidence, but always a threat, especially on the grass. In the fourth round, Nadal could face the man who no one wants to draw in any tournament, especially on grass, John Isner. The 6-10 former University of Georgia star with the booming serve is seeded No. 23 and opens against former Queen’s finalist Nicolas Mahut of France and could face No. 13 seed Mikhail Youzhny in the third round.
Nadal’s quarter of the draw also features No. 6 seed Robin Soderling, whom Nadal beat in the final of the 2010 French Open final and with whom he played an epic five-setter at the All England Club in 2007. Soderling opens against American Robby Ginepri.
Federer has a relatively easy first week, opening with Alejandro Falla of Colombia, then facing the winner of the match between Ilija Bozoljac and Nicolas Massu and potentially Tommy Robredo in the third round and Jurgen Melzer or Feliciano Lopez in the fourth round. Thomas Berdych, Stan Wawrinka or the fresh-off-injury Nikolay Davydenko could be quarterfinal opponent. Davydenko could be a first-round exit by the hands of tall, hard-serving Kevin Anderson of South Africa.
The second quarter of the men’s draw – the winner who would face the winner of Federer’s quarter – could be labeled “the group of death” to quote World Cup soccer as it features world No. 3 Novak Djokovic, 2002 Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt and three-time finalist Andy Roddick. Qualifier Taylor Dent could pose some second-round trouble for Djokovic. Hewitt lurks as a potential fourth-round match for Djokovic. Roddick, the three-time Wimbledon finalist and heartbreak final-round loser in 2009, also sits on the bottom of Djokovic’s quarter as the No. 5 seed with Marin Cilic, Ivan Ljubicic or fellow American Mardy Fish a likely fourth-round opponent. Roddick opens with fellow American Rajeev Ram, who won the grass court event in Newport, R.I. last year.
Any Murray sits in the third quarter and could face Queens champion Sam Querrey in the fourth round. Querrey, seeded No. 18, could face No. 14 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain in the third round. No. 8 seed Fernando Verdasco is also positioned in Murray’s quarter of the draw.
For the full men’s draws, go to www.Wimbledon.org