Nadal gets through in straight sets

Rafael Nadal survived some hairy moments to see off the challenge of Gilles Muller and progress into the second week of Wimbledon.

The defending champion, facing the man who sent him packing from SW19 in 2005, could easily have lost the first two sets on tie-breaks as Muller went close to playing – or at least serving – him off Court One.

But Nadal came through both of them, one before the rain that called time on the match yesterday and one today, to move into the fourth round with a 7-6 (8/6) 7-6 (7/5) 6-0 victory.

Rafael Nadal seized a two-set lead over Gilles Muller in their third-round Wimbledon clash on Court One but needed another tie-break as their match resumed this afternoon.

Having taken a tense first set 7-6 last night, Nadal left the court for treatment following a tumble but did not have to return until today as the weather intervened.

He showed no obvious signs of discomfort as he returned to the arena today, but if his body was not troubling him then Muller certainly was.

Having won 93% of points on his first serve yesterday, Muller was just as hard for the Spaniard to break down today, giving virtually nothing away and he sent down three aces in a row to stay on serve at 3-3.

By the time Muller levelled at 5-5 that percentage had reached 95 and Nadal was running out of ideas, something he illustrated when he let his normally ice-cool guard down to gesture at his box when Muller’s 12th and 13th aces took the set to another tie-breaker.

That stayed on serve until the 11th point too as both players kept things tight, but when Muller netted after a long rally, Nadal had the chance he needed to take it 7/5.

Having lost another set he arguably deserved to win, Muller started the third looking as though his resolve had finally been broken.

His serve most definitely was in the first game, Nadal ramping up the pressure to take a first break and, when he creamed a forehand winner on the run during the second game, it was a sure sign he was in his stride.

Holding serve was no longer a formality for Muller and he was broken again in the third game, double-faulting after saving three break points, but despite knowing the game was up, he slammed home a forehand winner that even had Nadal’s coach Toni applauding.

It was an unfair reflection on Muller’s overall performance that he was broken again in the fifth game, but Nadal was not for offering sympathy and served out for a third-set whitewash.