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."