Defending champion and World No. 1 Rafael Nadal squares off against No.92 seed Gilles Muller, Friday June 24th, at the All England Club. Muller was the last player to beat Nadal at Wimbledon. Wimbledon oddsmakers have Rafael Nadal as a -10000 moneyline favourite to beat Gilles Muller who is listed as a +1600 underdog. Be sure to get your 2011 Wimbledon: Rafael Nadal vs Gilles Muller predictions in early.
R
afael Nadal advanced to the third round of the 2011 Wimbledon Championships Wednesday with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Ryan Sweeting. The Spaniard was solid all-around, winning 74 per cent of his service points and claiming 46 per cent of points on return to win his 16th straight match at the All England Club. "I was playing well the first two sets, and especially the beginning of the third," Nadal said. "I think I was playing aggressive and with good feelings. But 2-1, 40-Love, I had a few mistakes, and he broke me back. And after [that], the match was tougher and closer." Playing under the roof on Centre Court for the first time, Nadal felt the conditions were tricky at times. "It seems like the court is a little more slippery than usual… [and there were] more humid conditions inside," assessed Nadal. "I don't know if this change is because the atmosphere inside the court with the roof is more humid or because it was raining before the match." With Nadal playing on center court against a tough opponent, it could be the upset of this Wimbledon.
Gilles Muller played just five games in his second-round match with No. 31 seed Milos Raonic before the Canadian retired with an injury he incurred in the third game of the match. Muller is the last player other than Roger Federer to defeat Nadal at Wimbledon; he took out the Spaniard in the second round of The Championships in 2005. "Gilles is a very dangerous player. He has a very good serve, a good volley," believes Nadal. "He's especially a very dangerous player on this kind of surface. So will be tough match for me. I have to be very focused all the time with my serve and try to convert the small chances that I have on the return." Muller has six wins on the Challengers circuit and four on the Futures tour, with one title won on grass. He’s also a 13 time runner-up on those circuits. His best Wimbledon result was a third round exit in 2005.
Head to Head: Series split 1-1
2005 Wimbledon England Grass R64 Muller, Gilles 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Stats
2005 Barcelona Spain Clay R32 Nadal, Rafael 6-0, 6-2 Stats
Rafael Nadal vs Gilles Muller
When: Friday June 24, 7:00 AM ET
Pick: Nadal -10000
Point-Spreads.com recommends you check out Wimbledon Odds before the Rafael Nadal vs Gilles Muller match.
The Bottom Line: should be a win for Nadal, but if you like betting on underdogs, this could be money in the bank. Be sure to get your 2011 Wimbledon: Rafael Nadal vs Gilles Muller predictions in early.
