23rd Jun 2013 | Tennis
Wimbledon Men's Winner Tip: Rafa Nadal
The best player of 2013 so far and has made the final here on 5 of his last 6 visits.
The bookies have made Djokovic a standout favourite (11/8 Coral) for Wimbledon 2013 but the truth is that his price is too short and we must back one of his rivals for value.
Although the Serb is world number one and has an outstanding chance, there is a case to be made against him. Fundamentally, a record of one appearance in the final in eight visits to the All-England Club suggests that grass is certainly not his best surface. When you consider that Novak has won the last three Australian Opens and made the last three US Open finals, hard courts are where he really prospers.
Instead I’m going to side with the 2008 and 2010 Wimbledon champion Rafa Nadal. The eight-time French Open champion may be revered as the greatest clay court exponent of all-time, but he’s also proved himself to be a bit special on the lawns of SW19. The 27-year-old has actually made it to the Centre Court final on five of his last six visits to south-west London.
In terms of form, Rafa is also in a league of his own having made his best ever start to a season. The man from Mallorca holds an awesome 43-2 win-loss record in 2013 during which he has already claimed seven titles and never exited before the final of any tournament.
Sceptics will point to the draw as a reason why Nadal won’t win but that’s factored into the price. Besides, he is likely to be too strong for Federer in a best-of-five sets showdown at this stage of the Swiss star’s career and he holds a 6-1 lead over Murray in Grand Slam matches.
That would likely leave Djokovic in the final and I think the Spaniard would revel in the opportunity to gain revenge for 2011 and claim a third Wimbledon crown in the process.
In terms of odds, Boylesports offer a market-leading 24/5 on Nadal but I would suggest taking the 4/1 on offer with PaddyPower, one of the bookies offering money-back if Murray wins the title.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 12:29 23rd Jun, 2013 but subject to change
