With the sun setting behind Centre Court, Rafa Nadal was racing to get jos job done so he could concentrate on another important match.

The four-time French Open champion chalked one up for Spain over Germany at 9:12 p.m. Saturday local time, with his 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-3 win over Nicolas Kiefer in the third round at Wimbledon.

But that wasn't the Spain vs. Germany victory that was foremost in his mind immediately after the match - that could come Sunday when the Spaniards take on the Germans at the European Championship final in Vienna, Austria.

he middle Sunday a rest day at Wimbledon, and the last thing Nadal wanted was his third-round contest with Kiefer to be being carried over until Monday if it got too dark to keep playing. "I was a little bit nervous, because for me it was important to finish the match," said Rafa, stifling a yawn.

It was in the corresponding stage last year when his third-round match with Robin Soderling spanned four days because of rain.

So after a first set that lasted 67 minutes and went to a tiebreaker on Saturday, it was getting close to 8 p.m. and he instinctively lifted a gear. He raced through the second set in 33 minutes, hitting winners off both wings, and was serving for the match at 5-1 at 9:03 p.m. in the third set. Then he lost his focus for a bit. Kiefer broke him, for the first time in the match, and then held serve for 5-3.

With the stairwell lights in the Royal Box, the occasional camera flash and the scoreboard glow the only artificial lights adding illumination in the shadowy court, Rafa made no mistake.

He held at love to finish in 2 hours, 22 minutes, then he punched the air, took off both wrist bands and threw them into the crowd. "I had an unbelievable mistake with the volley, the forehand volley at 5-1, and later he has a very good serve," he said. "Lucky for me, later I played a good game."

Rafa loves his football and has a bit of pedigree. His uncle, Miguel Angel Nadal a.k.a. "The Beast of Barcelona," played for Spain in three World Cup campaigns in 1994, '98 and 2002. So on Sunday evening, he planned to be kicking back with some of the other Spanish tennis players at his place in Wimbledon Village watching the coverage from Ernst Happel Stadium. Spain will be trying to win its first piece of major football silverware since its 2-1 win over the Soviet Union in the 1964 European Championship final.

Asked if his win was the first of two for the weekend for Spain, Rafa was confident. "Tomorrow is another history, no? Happy for my win, but tomorrow is very important," he said. "If we are not confident right now with this team we're never going to be confident."

Not that he thought the Spanish team would be using his win over Kiefer as motivation. "I don't think I'm going to help nothing, but for sure tomorrow I'm going to be supporting the Spanish team 100 per cent," he said.

After that, the 22-year-old can re-set his focus on becoming the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win back-to-back French Open and Wimbledon titles. The likely roadblock is Federer, who has won the last five Wimbledon titles and is on a 61-match grass-court streak.'

Rafa Nadal was given a thorough workout by Ernests Gulbis on the way to dispatching the Latvian 5-7 6-2 7-6 6-3 to book his place in the third round of Wimbledon.

The Spaniard predicted that Gulbis would prove a handful and the little-known 19-year-old lived up to expectations by producing a display full of courage and skill.

A booming serve and powerful forehand were his choice shots but there was also plenty of variety to the world number 48's game, marking him out as a star of the future.

Rafa's class and athleticism ultimately enabled him to negotiate a tricky hurdle on Court One and he now meets 27th-seeded German Nicolas Kiefer for a place in the last 16.

"I knew beforehand that it would be a very difficult match. He's a tough player who will be at the top very soon," said Rafa-- who has been runner-up to Roger Federer in the last two finals.

"I served only so-so at the start but it got better as the match went on and I feel that I improved," added the Mallorcan -- who is bidding to become only the third man to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season.

Rafa will wear brand new high output clothes designed especially for him at Wimbledon, an equipment that pays tribute to the legacy and tradition of the most prestigious tournament on the circuit without sacrificing technological innovation or rejecting Nadal’s characteristic style.Nike has therefore designed his gear with the characteristics that distinguish and identify him (both Rafa and his playing style on grass) and with the objective of completely covering his needs on court.

AN EVOLUTION IN COMFORT

Nike has maintained the lightness and ventilation of Rafa’s clothes by using its seamless technology and combining it with Dri-FIT materials (absorbing polyester micro fibre, which transfers the body sweat to the surface of the fabric) and featuring ventilation holes for the purpose of keeping him cool and prevent them to stick, guaranteeing greater mobility. Furthermore, in order to allow him to develop his elegant, powerful game, his shirt weighs under 150 grams thanks to the reduction of the fabric.The “Global Power Sleeveless” also includes mesh on the sides and the back (with its characteristic integrated printing) and a panel of ultra absorbent, fast-drying chamois near the hem to allow him to dry the sweat on his face.In order to make easier his powerful strokes, the shirt is sleeveless and has a soft border on the armholes and inside the neck to reduce the friction caused by the sweating concentration in these areas.Rafa’s “Longer Length Dri-FIT Shorts” are loose trousers that adapt to his movements without creasing, so they do not cause irritations or scratches, and include chamois panels at the rear so that Rafa can dry his hands and grip securely.The displaced side seams reduce the rubbing for greater comfort and the elastic Dri-FIT mesh together with the adjustable felt lined waist (which absorbs the sweat and avoid abrasion) guarantee that his needs on court are satisfied.Rafa’s “Power Warm-Up” Dri-FIT jacket is made with light Dri-FIT material and has a tone print on the chest. Totally lined with mesh to achieve maximum comfort, the side seams reduce the friction during the warm-up and the mesh lining in the hood, the contrast cords, ribbed cuffs and ventilation holes in the rear are some of the design details inspired by Rafa’s strong personality.Rafa’s “Woven Warm-Up” Dri-FIT trousers have articulated pleats at the knee to allow complete freedom of movement and ventilation holes. They incorporate an extra long zip so that he can put them on and take them off without removing his shoes, and the pockets are designed for an optimal air circulation.

RAFA UMPTEENTHED

The Nike Air Max Breathe Cage II are the shoes chosen by Nadal and adapted to each of his steps, offering him protection, durability and unbeatable support no matter how demanding the match is.

ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE: NIKE AIR MAX BREATHE CAGE II

The key is in the Nike Air Max Breathe, which provides all the power and support needed by the most powerful tennis players. The Nike DraGon technology, used exclusively in this shoe, reinforces its structure and offers greater support in side-by-side movements.The maximum stability in the heel is complemented by exceptional comfort in the front thanks to the Max Air unit by Nike and the Zoom Air dumping, the perfect complement for the sportsman who leaves nothing. The HeatBlock technology blocks the heat coming from the surface of the court, for the purpose of allowing Rafa to concentrate on his rival and forget about his feet. At the bottom, the areas of greater wear are reinforced with XDR (extra-durable rubber) and the pin pattern increases the grip and the traction on any kind of surface. The mobility and articulation are improved thanks to the inclusion of pivot points and deep flexion grooves.Rafa is ready to walk them over and keep it cool even when the game gets hot.

His clothes, the accessories and the footwear inspired in Rafa’s clothes for Wimbledon are also available at nikestore.com

Rafa Nadal got his 2008 Wimbledon campaign off to a confident start on Tuesday with a 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7/0) win over German qualifier Andreas Beck.

The second seed, fresh from his fourth successive French Open title and first grass-court trophy at Queen's, is also bidding to be the first Roland Garros-Wimbledon back-to-back winner since Bjorn Borg in 1980.

fter flying through the first two sets with a break in each, the 22-year-old Beck at least made a match of it in the third where the Spaniard was taken to a tiebreak.

But the world number two's greater experience in the breakers told and he went to six match points against his fellow left-hander and clinched the tie when his opponent went long and wild with a forehand.

Rafa will now face Latvia's Ernests Gulbis for a place in the last 32.

"He was another leftie and his second serve was difficult to read. He served to the body and that was hard for me," said Nadal.

"But in the tiebreak I hit some good forehands.

"It was a strange match. There weren't many points from the baseline and I play mostly from the baseline."

Youtube Video: From Wimbledon Live

Rafa Nadal, who is scheduled second on Centre today, could be said to be good and ready. Just how ready we shall find out as he unleashes his missiles against Andreas Beck, a 22-year-old qualifier from Ravensburg, Germany, ranked 122, who is making his Grand Slam debut.

Since this is Beck's first tour-level tournament outside his homeland, he cannot be counted as one of the more solid bricks in the Teuton tennis wall, and the requirement for Andreas can be summed up in that delicious American word: awesome. Rafa has never lost in the first round in any of his five appearances at Wimbledon, and in the past two he has finished runner-up to Roger Federer.

While Rafa prepares to step on Center court, we found a very nice article you will enjoy!

RAFA HAS THE EYE FOR THE TIGER

Rafa Nadal says he has never had a sporting idol, but nominates golfing great Tiger Woods as the athlete he admires most. "I like a lot his mentality," says Nadal. "I like a lot his eyes when he's going to have the important shot."

According to Bjorn Borg and others, Nadal, too, has the look of a winner as he prepares for a fifth crack at the prestigious Wimbledon title he narrowly lost to Roger Federer in a brilliant five-set final 12 months ago. The second seed plays his first-round match today against German qualifier Andreas Beck, having arrived at the All England club on a devastating 17-match winning streak.

Woods' dramatic victory under injury duress at last week's US Open continues to be raised in the media room, Federer admitting he watched the fourth round into the early hours after winning the Halle title that day, as well as Monday's play-off from Torrey Pines. "I could tell that he was hurting, because Tiger wouldn't show (it) otherwise," said Federer of his Nike stablemate.

Nadal's view, meanwhile, was from his home in Mallorca, where he noted Woods' "unbelievable concentration, unbelievable determination, and big confidence". The Spaniard, too, has all three qualities in abundance, as well as an improving grasscourt game, with Andy Roddick among those vouching for the help the surface gives to Nadal's serve, and his ability to conjure big shots from odd angles.

Yet the modest 22-year-old insists this is a year like any other — "just come here with motivation, best motivation, try to enjoy playing on grass, is strange surface, try to find my best performance" — and rates Wimbledon as nothing more or less than simply the tournament every player yearns to win.

The only Spanish man to prevail here is Manolo Santana, back in 1966, and Nadal's commitment to becoming the second was demonstrated by his presence on an un-airconditioned Eurostar train from Paris to London the morning after his fourth and most emphatic French triumph.

Only the following week, after winning his first career grasscourt title at Queen's Club, did he return home to Mallorca for some golf, tuna fishing, and time with his friends and family after a long and arduous claycourt season, then an ominous effort on the west London grass. There, Nadal allowed himself three precious days of what counts as rest to someone who considers a sleep-in a wasted morning.

Nadal returned to London on Thursday, his hair cut short, to learn that he would not have to play either Federer or Novak Djokovic before finals day. But if the planets appear to be aligning, Santana is among those cautioning that "this is still Roger's tournament", until someone manages to wrench it away.

"Rafa has come closer and closer and, unlike other Spanish players, he has always believed he can win at Wimbledon, but Roger feels at home here," said Santana, who turned 70 last month. "It will be very tough."

Rafa Nadal touched down in London yesterday and is extremely excited to be back in his dream tournament. It will be a couple of very exciting weeks for the champ as he gets ready to make this year's Wimbledon campaign, one he'll never forget. 

The official draw of play was revealed, and his first round opponent is Andreas Beck of Germany, who he will face on Tuesday (if wether allows). In his half, he will find lots of grass experts like Andy Roddick, Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet. 

Before play gets under way however, we thought we would delight you with Rafa's thoughts and feelings about his favourite tournament.  

RAFA TALKS ABOUT HIS DREAM TOURNAMENT AND MORE

EasyJet Flight 5509 from Gatwick to Palma, Majorca, last Sunday was held for a couple of last-minute passengers and one of them turned a few heads. Rafa Nadal is not your private-jet kind of person, a man of the people he is. “The plane wasn’t full, there was places behind,” he said. “No problem.”

The 22-year-old Spaniard takes life and its giddy fortunes in his stride. For the first player to win the French Open, the world’s premier clay-court championship which he won for the fourth time, and a grass-court title — the Artois Championships at Queen’s Club, West London — within eight days, getting home as quickly as possible was the paramount objective.

Having got to bed at 1 in the morning, Nadal was on the driving range the next day at 8.45, teed off and recorded his best round of the year, a four-over-par 76. “The next day, five birdies, but two double-bogeys and three triple-bogeys, so an 81,” he said. “Some better holes, but not so good.” On Wednesday, he fished, contentedly, with his father. On Thursday, he flew back to London.

So that is relaxation done for another year, time for business once more. His hair has been cut short but as he stretches his tree-trunk legs from an uncomfortable chair, it is impossible not to be reminded of the perennially bashful smile that plays on the face of the ultimate soft-ball warrior. Those bright eyes were filled with tears when he left the All England Club grounds last year, having lost the best final for years, to Federer in five sets.

Was it his toughest loss? “It was very tough, so hard, to lose one very important final in a tournament like this but at the same time I was happy about how I played,” he said. “In the final set I had 15-40 twice on Roger’s serve and I didn’t lose my serve since the first game of the match. Afterwards, I cried a lot, for half an hour [he lets out a sigh]. I cried because — how can I say this in English? — there was a lot of tension, I had chances to win it, the title of my dreams, and finally I lost. I cried not for lose, but because it was such an emotional final for me. That had not happened before.”

Consider what it had taken for Rafa to get to the last day with his sanity intact. A five-day match against Robin Söderling, of Sweden, in the second round was a case in point, on the first day of which he had squandered a match point. “I had a serve, a typical forehand and missed this much [thumb and forefinger a centimetre apart]. That was the last point, at six-all, and we were back in the locker-room. Rain. We come back next day, he hits a good return, I lost the set and everything changed.

“I had chances to win the fourth set and then it rained again for 20 minutes. So I had the match in control 100 per cent and every time after that we stopped, every time I was worse. Finally, I found a solution.”

The Söderling mission completed, Nadal returned the next day to face Mikhail Youzhny, the Russian, on No 2 court, and he was two sets down. In the next three, he lost five games. “Youzhny plays fast and on that court, with no space, it suits the fast-court player. It was not easy for me,” Rafa said. Tomas Berdych, the Czech, fell in straight sets and Novak Djokovic retired with bloodied feet in the third set of their semi-final to preface the date with Federer and heartbreak.

The pair of them have been entwined like that for the past four years, since Federer made the grass his fiefdom and Nadal has been beatified on clay. Each has prevented the other from immortal wins. Would it not be possible for Rafa to carry a shred of enmity towards the Swiss — it was, after all, what kept McEnroe, Connors and Lendl from the sanatorium. “It’s only a game, that’s true, no?” Rafa said. “They are different characters, I think. I am a quiet person, I don’t have an obsession or anything.

“I love to win, I don’t like to lose and I expect, if I play normal, I will win. But I lose the final of Wimbledon last year and the next day I’m on the golf course and then the beach. Tennis is one sport where you have to learn what it is like to lose. It is going to happen to you next week, for sure.

“I prefer the calm. True, I am — what do you say? — hyperactive. After Queen’s, I go home and sleep, but I have to wake up at 8am because if I wake up later I am nervous because I have wasted one morning and I only have three days at home. I don’t like to watch TV, though this time, I did see the US Open golf — actually, all four days.

“Tiger Woods was unbelievable but sorry for the other guy [Rocco Mediate]. Tiger has a difficult putt for the play-off and the next day Mediate is in the lead and he has two par-fives and for a professional, they have a great chance to make two birdies, but he makes two pars and Tiger, two birdies. That is more difficult for him than the Wimbledon final last year for me.”

Rafa accepts that if he is to continue in SW19 an extraordinary sequence that, since the Monte Carlo Masters in April, has been clay win, clay win, clay withdrawal (blisters in Rome), clay win, clay win, grass win, he needs to be at his absolute best.

How does he do it, with his inimitable approach? “People talk a lot about my physical style and say I must have problems, but I play more matches every year and I didn’t lose any tournament with an injury,” he said. “This year I just had the blisters, but I did not lose the tournament to blisters but to the s*** calendar.

“If I had the win in Rome I could never have gone to Hamburg [the following week], already I had made that choice. I only have three Masters on clay, where I have the best chance to win the points that keep me a little distance from Federer and Djokovic. If I want to be No 1, I need these tournaments. The rest of the year on the hard courts is really tough, on the knees, feet and back. The others have better chance on hard courts and I’m not saying that it is not fair, only that the clay-court season is so short. Why not a longer clay and a longer grass-court season?”

Those are decisions for farther down the line, maybe when Rafa becomes a member of the ATP Player Council, which could happen today. Other than continuing to practise with a dervish’s intent — he had three driven sessions yesterday — Rafa will be intrigued by two footballing developments. Will Cristiano Ronaldo sign for his love, Real Madrid? Can Spain hold off Italy in the European Championship finals? “I hope in both,” he said. “Real Madrid is not bigger but they have more international titles and which player would not want to play for a club like them? I’d be very happy if he signs.”

Rafa Nadal made history in today's Queen's final. Of his 31 lifetime matches on grass, none had given him more pleasure than that against Novak Djokovic on the last day of the last Artois Championships, which gave a British audience front-seat exposure to a rivalry gathering a fascinating momentum.

Rafa won the final 7-6, 7-5, becoming the first player to win the French Open and then back it up the next week with success on the greensward. These two sets on grass at Queen's Club lasted 27 minutes longer than had Nadal's three against Roger Federer at Roland Garros in the final a week earlier. And the Spaniard, the top seed, was almost 4-0 down in the first set yesterday, which goes to the heart of why he is acknowledged as the game's most fearsomely durable opponent.

Winning on clay has become his right. To win on grass, with its different physical strains, its extravagant bounces, its requirement for balance and clinical execution, takes a singular soul and Rafa is that. Djokovic, too, for the 21-year-old Serb hauled himself back to within two points of extending this climax to the three sets the audience clamoured for.

Even he, though, had to bow to the relentless determination Rafa had brought to this event, one he played throughout with half an eye on a golf course in Majorca. What to make of a man who would, if you twisted his arm, admit he would rather be somewhere else but has shown throughout his career a commitment to do what he does with unwavering focus.

It is what makes him an opponent to be feared at Wimbledon as never before. 

Rafa has a beautiful way with the ball and with words. “I have titles in all the surfaces right now, so I am a more complete player right now than one week before,” he said. “No, I am joking. If I don't have a title here, I played well the last years, too. Win here, win a prestigious tournament like this, a very traditional tournament here in London, best players of the world are here in the past. So to be here, close to these other players, is very nice.”

Djokovic had come out of the traps with such purpose it looked as if he was going to leave Rafa as battered as he left David Nalbandian in Saturday's semi-final, when he lost just one game. Had Rafa not stood firm when Djokovic had a break point to lead 4-0, it may have been very different. He gradually found his range and if the Spaniard had the better of most rallies, Djokovic was clinging limpet-like to his task, to the extent that he had a set point in the tie-break. The riposte was an off-forehand winner, another forced error and then an unreturnable serve on set point. They are becoming a Rafa habit.

From 2-0 down in the second set, Djokovic hauled himself back and served for it at 5-4 but with every step he took forward, Rafa rattled him with sweeping passes, remarkable “gets” and volleying of the Sampras/Rafter class. The Spaniard saw out the match with a joyous smash and proceeded to dig his teeth into the London Grass Court Cup. Queen's Club had never witnessed anything like it.

Rafa Nadal completed a super-human turnaround from clay to grass to line up against Novak Djokovic on Saturday and contest the title at the Artois Championships. The Spanish top seed denied Andy Roddick a record-setting fifth trophy at Queen's club 7-5, 6-4 in a masterful semi-final display.

The surprise showing came a mere six days after the world number two lifted a fourth consecutive trophy at Roland Garros.

Rafa, with 27 trophies mainly on clay, stands one win away from his first career honour on grass with just eight days to go before the start of Wimbledon.

Rafa leads Djokovic 8-3, beating him in a Roland Garros semi-final last week as well as going through a year ago at Wimbledon when the Serb quit injured in a semi.

"I feel much better this year," said Djokovic. "I'm more mature and playing with a lot of confidence."

Rafa on his side, has quickly found his feet on grass after another runaway clay season.

"It was an important match for me," said Rafa who admitted that he had never expected to get this far this week. "Being in a Queen's final is always unbelievable, especially without many days to adapt to grass.

"This week is amazing for me, I'm just very happy how I'm playing on grass. I'm especially very happy to play the final here."

The 22-year-old has only dropped serve once this week and leads the ATP circuit with a 48-7 record and four titles this season. Defending champion Roddick came to the court after playing only one set the last two days after Mardy Fish retired with an ankle injury on Thursday and Andy Murray withdrew with a thumb injury on Friday.

"To be honest, I got about what I wanted out of it," Roddick said of his week after missing the French Open with a shoulder injury. "I was coming in short on practise, I hadn't really played much at all.

"I hadn't served full out till the day before I played. I hit the ball better than I expected to. It's tough coming in cold turkey and trying to play on a grass court, which is slimy and slippery. It kind of takes some sharpness.

"It was about as much as I could have expected" But the American was quick to praise the winner. "He played well today, there's no question. He's just so match sharp right now. He's almost in cruise control from just playing so many matches. "Credit to him, he just beat me today."

Rafa Nadal overcame Ivo Karlovic's powerful serve to reach the Queen's Club semifinals with a 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) win on Friday. Rafa will next play defending champion Andy Roddick of the U.S., who got a walkover in the quarter-finals when Andy Murray of Britain withdrew after injuring his right thumb in the previous round.

Rafal had just two break points - while not conceding any - which were saved by Karlovic at 3-3 in the first set and 2-2 in the third. "It was a very tough match," Rafa said. "It's a very important win because I beat a specialist on this surface, a big server. I think I returned well, but I didn't have lot of chances."

A double-fault by Rafa in the first tiebreaker was all Karlovic needed, as he closed out the set with his 15th ace but Rafa bounced back to win the second, and Karlovic then netted a backhand volley in the third tiebreaker to give the French Open champion a decisive 5-3 lead. "On grass, especially these matches, everything is decided in two balls," Rafa said. "So it is very important to be prepared, and have the best concentration."

Rafa Nadal predicted a big future for Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori on Thursday after surviving a scare at Queen's Club. French Open champion was given a tough time by the 18-year-old before winning their third round clash 6-4 3-6 6-3.

"He plays very easy, he reads the game very well and moves well," Rafa told reporters at the traditional pre-Wimbledon event where he is bidding for his first grasscourt title.

"He is very, very good. he is going to be top 10 for sure, top five. I am 100 percent sure. He's a very talented player.

"When he has time on his forehand he will kill you every time. He needs to improve a few little things but he's going to be very good."

Nishikori, who now lives in Florida, became the first Japanese player to win an ATP tournament for 16 years in February when he beat James Blake in Delray Beach and he is winning plenty of admirers.

He has even developed a signature shot, a both-feet-off-the-ground forehand, that had the Queen's Club fans in raptures on Thursday.

"Just give him one more year," added Nadal. "I think he has everything."

Rafa comfortably won the first set by breaking Nishikori once and playing some trademark winners to take the set 6-4.

In the second he seemed to have relaxed too much, which made his intensity drop a bit and allowed Nishikori to gain five break point opportunities before taking one. The 18-year-old withstood a barrage of hard-hitting from Rafa while serving, but he held on to square the match. The Queens' club crowd were on the edge of their seats in anticipation of a major upset, but Rafa raised his game in the deciding set and came through 6-3. Rafa will face big-serving Ivo Karlovic in the next round after the Croat beat Fernando Gonzalez 6-3 7-5.