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Nadal to slip to third best?
12/05/2008 17:21 - (SA)
Hamburg - Rafael Nadal said on
Monday he expected to lose his world number two ranking to
Serbia's Novak Djokovic by Wimbledon at the latest.
Nadal's defeat by Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round in
Rome last week, when he was suffering from a badly blistered
foot, coupled with Djokovic's victory in the final, means he
could even slip to number three this week in Hamburg.
The Spaniard had a great clay-court season last year -
losing just once, to number one Roger Federer in the Hamburg
final - and then went on to reach the final at Wimbledon.
Having so many points to defend leaves Nadal vulnerable and
the 21-year-old knows he has no margin for error between now and
Wimbledon.
"Djokovic is very close, there's no doubt about that," Nadal
told reporters on Monday after his arrival at the Hamburg
Masters.
"I think, no I'm certain, that the logical thing is that he
goes past me here, gets to number two here or at Roland Garros
or in Wimbledon.
"He's a great player and he's doing things very well. If I'm
number three I'm number three. When it happens I just have to
accept it and fight to get the position back."
Nadal has complained repeatedly and bitterly about this
year's ATP calendar, which has three clay-court Masters Series
tournaments, plus Barcelona, crammed into four weeks.
His early defeat last week may have been a blessing in
disguise and he said on a sunny day in Hamburg on Monday that he
felt far better physically than he had going into Rome.
"I'm better," he said. "I'm still not perfect but I've had a
few days off, and I'm much better than I was in Rome.
"I just hope the weather stays nice and hot."
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