Rafael Nadal hopeful of defending Wimbledon title

It may be a risky strategy and there are many across the world who will be praying that he has not let his heart rule his head. Rafael Nadal's decision to defend his Wimbledon title has not been made without much soul-searching but ultimately he is big enough to make up his own mind and he would not pass up the chance to return to Centre Court this year if he did not think he could last the entire championships.
The tendinitis which Nadal has endured for a number of years flares every now and again. It was clear, before and during the French Open - where he lost in the fourth round to Robin Soderling, the eventual runner-up - that Nadal was unhappy. He did not practise well, he did not feel the ball coming off the strings well, he did not seem himself.
A couple of days of tests in Barcelona have confirmed that though he is stricken with tendinitis, he can still play tennis and on a grass court, the chances of harming himself are minimalised. If the US Open was upon us, there seems little question that he would withdraw.
What a story is unfolding, with Roger Federer having clinched his 14th grand slam tournament title in Paris and who will enter the All England Club free-wheeling, Andy Murray's improvement on every surface unrelenting, Novak Djokovic determined to make a decent impression on grass and half-a-dozen others who ought to be challenging, if they put it all together for two weeks.
For heaven's sake, Marat Safin was a semi-finalist last year. But Nadal's news is excellent, for himself and for the tournament.
"I have been playing with pain in my knees for some months now and I simply can't go on like this," Nadal, who is suffering from tendonitis in both kneecaps, said. "The pain was limiting certain movements in my body, which affected me mentally as well.
"After the tests, and with the appropriate treatment, we have decided to travel to London. I am going to give 200 per cent to be ready for the most important tournament in the world, the one that I always dream about.
"I will not go out and play, especially on the Wimbledon Centre Court, if I am not 100 per cent ready to play. I have two difficult weeks ahead of me, especially because I won't be doing what I like doing most, which is to play tennis, but I will be working on my recovery through physiotherapy treatments as well as recovery work on the specific muscular area."
Nadal won his first Wimbledon title last year following an epic five-set battle with Roger Federer. He recently saw his bid for a fifth successive French Open trophy ended by Robin Soderling in the fourth round.
Source:The times