On the heels of another fantastic clay-court season, Spanish maestro Rafael Nadal will now make the surface transition to grass when he locks horns with John Millman in the first round of the Wimbledon Championships later today. Nadal is looking to complete the French Open-Wimbledon double for the third time in his career (achieved the feat in 2008 and 2010), tying Bjorn Borg’s record which he set from 1978 to 1980.
Nadal’s showdown against Millman will be his first competitive match on grass in two years. That being said, it’s extremely hard to not see Nadal dominate his first-round opponent today. Other than having all the momentum on his side, the two-time Wimbledon champion has the overall advantage in experience, skill and power. The only thing that should worry the Spaniard slightly is the fact that he has yet to go head-to-head with Millman throughout his career. Nadal is pegged at +450to win his third Wimbledon title this year.
Betting on John Millman
Whatever happens today, John Millman ought to relish this moment. Yes, almost everyone is expecting the Aussie to lose in the opening round versus 15-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, but the 28-year-old can look at this clash as a perfect opportunity to learn and enhance his experience. Hip problems have hampered Millman’s 2017 season with the Australian plummeting down to 137th in the world rankings. He has played only one ATP-level match this year, losing in four sets to Roberto Bautista Agut in the opening round of the French Open. Millman followed that up with a trio of defeats in the second rounds of grass-court Challengers.
Millman can draw inspiration, however, from his deep Wimbledon run last year where he reached the third round for the first time in his career. The experience he drew from his centre-court clash with eventual champion Andy Murray in the round of 32 will serve him in good stead for the matchup against Nadal.
