I’ll be backing Nadal of the British Bog Tennis Championship in Wimbledon this summer.
He’s got that aura of invincibility back, he’s playing liquid tennis and he’s serving better than ever and the rest of the field don’t seem to be firing.
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Is he competing this year? The libel case he’s bringing against Minister Bachalet has been fixed by the French courts for 7 July. The Championship runs from 3 July to 16 July.
Spanish star Rafa Nadal’s case against the ex-French sports minister, who alleged he hid a positive drugs test, is to be heard in 2017.
Tennis star Rafa Nadal’s lawsuit against former French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot will be heard next year, judicial sources revealed on Tuesday.
The case will be heard before a Paris court on 7 July 2017.
Bachelot, who served as minister between 2007 and 2010, alleged that Spaniard Nadal faked an injury in 2012, when he missed the final six months of the season due to knee problems, in order to hide a positive drug test.
She made the comments on French television when asked about five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova’s admission that she failed a drug test at this year’s Australian Open.
In response, 29-year-old Nadal said he was going to seek ‘justice’ and use the courts to put a stop to speculation he ever used performance-enhancing drugs.
“I am tired about these things. I let it go a few times in the past. No more,” the 14-time Grand Slam champion said, adding that he expected better of a person who was “minister of a big country and a great country like France”.
Nadal has never failed a drug test in his many years on the ATP Tour and has always vehemently denied ever using a banned substance.
Yes, he’ll be competing this year.
Has he dropped the libel case?
No.
Will Nadal get a top 4 seeding in Wimbledon.? He’ll move to World no. 3 on account of his victory over Wawrinka today.
Could be tricky if he has to give evidence in a Paris court on 7 July and he’s potentially in 3rd round action at the Championship the same day.
What evidence will he have to give?
It’s a defamation case. What has been said is on record, the relevant authorities have shown that the allegations made by the French minister were wrong. It’s just a case of Nadal’s legal team presenting the case and Nadal being awarded damages for the scurrilous defamation.
He’s guaranteed to be in the Top 4. I wouldn’t be surprised if Djokovic pulled out. He was alluding to personal problems in his post match interview after he lost to Thiem and he seems to have had some sort of mini breakdown.
Great to see the grass court tennis season start after the muck of Paris.
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the start of proper tennis
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Grass tennis is akin to Championship Hurling.
Clay tennis is akin to slogging in the muck of the Walsh Cup in January.
Quite a high rate of attrition coming up to the US Open. Nishikori out for the rest of the year now along with Djokovic and Wawrinka. Sir Andy in an injury plagued year, a doubt as well not having played since the Championship. The Great Man picked up a back injury in his final defeat to Alex Zverev in Montreal on Sunday and is now a doubt for the US Open as well. He’s pulled out of Cincinnati next week which means Nadal is the new Number 1 on Monday.
Is he worth backing?
Milos Raonic, the fourth Top 10 player out of the US Open, joining defending champion Stan Wawrinka, Djokovic and Nishikori on the sidelines.
Nadal is seeded Number 1 in the much tougher, top half of the draw. Seeded to face Berdych in Round of 16 and last week’s Cincinnati winner Dimitrov in quarter final. Federer is in the top half of the draw as well. Seeded to face Kyrgios in Round of 16 and Dominic Thiem in quarter final.
In the bottom half, fourth seed Alex Zverev seeded to meet fifth seed Marin Cilic in quarter final. Second seed Sir Andy Murray seeded to meet Tsonga or Carreno Busta in the quarter final.
Zverev is 13/2, third favourite in the betting behind Nadal and Federer. I’d fancy Zverev to get to the final. Sir Andy has had an injury blighted year. Dimitrov at 16/1 after winning his first Masters Series title in Cincinnati might be worth a flutter too even in the tougher top half. He pushed Nadal all the way in the semi final in Melbourne. Nadal has looked jaded so far over the US hardcourt season, his gruelling early season schedule possibly catching up now. Federer aggravated his long standing back injury in Montreal and at 36, a big ask to be facing into a Grand Slam so soon after a setback like that. I suspect Federer could depart early, possibly to Kyrgios (finalist in Cincinnati last week) in the round of 16.
David Ferrer will beat Murray in round four. At 200/1 he is some each way value imo
Murray has withdrawn from the US Open now too.
Not a surprise. I’d say he’s finished as an elite top end player from injuries.
Zverev being put to the pin of his collar by Coric right now