Wimbledon 2013- Nadal vs Darcis

Rafael Nadal had a successful comeback to Rolando Garros, and he will try to do just about the same in Wimbledon. His debut is this Monday at 9:30 AM ET against the Belgian Steve Darcis.

There’s no money line set for this match as Nadal appears as the huge favorite, but in terms of betting the spread in the game is Rafa -8.5. The game total game for this match is 28.5.

Last year Nadal had a problem with his knees, but he believes things are different this time.

“I was not ready to play here. That’s the real thing. I play with an infiltration (painkilling injection) from the first day,” Nadal said.

“Last year I played here because it’s a tournament that I love. I tried my best. But after Roland Garros my knee was not there anymore. After here,  I was not able to compete in one more tournament during the rest of the season. That’s tennis, and that’s the sport. You lose; you win. That’s part of the game. But that experience for me last year was too much. I suffered too much.

“If you are in the final rounds and if you have to protect or play with an infiltration, it’s fine. But playing with an infiltration from the first day doesn’t exist. Wimbledon was not a good decision for me.”

Nadal and Steve Darcis had only played once before, in an exhibition match that ended with a 7-6, 7-6 win by the Spanish.