Any player who makes a successful ATP
Tour debut at 15 years old is going
to be marked out for great things, and
Rafael Nadal has long been seen as a
champion in waiting.
But, even so, his sensational form
this year has taken the game by storm
and rocketed the Mallorcan teenager
into the top five.
There is no doubt that Nadal is the
world's leading clay-courter, while
his Masters final appearance in Miami
proved his hard-court credentials.
Grass is a different matter though,
and his heavy topspin and relatively
unthreatening serve will be handicaps
at Wimbledon.
However, unlike some of his fellow
clay-courters, the 19-year-old has indicated
he is keen to master the surface.
A win over Mario Ancic on his only
visit to Wimbledon in 2003 should serve
as a warning to anyone about to underestimate
Nadal's ability to adapt his game.
