Nadal vs Berdych – Spaniard can crush Czech mate

Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych are good friends off court, but on it in the Wimbledon final expect the Spaniard to show no good will.

Nadal is the 2/7 favourite to win, while Berdych is 5/2. It appears clear bettors should back the 2008 champion.

The two have met 10 times before with Nadal coming out victorious in seven, including their last match in the quarter-finals of this year’s Indian Wells.

Ominously, Nadal and Berdych have played once before at Wimbledon, in the 2007 quarter-finals, when the Spaniard won in straight sets. That’s an 11/8 shot here and looks a good one.

Nadal is imperious in Grand Slam finals, having won all bar two of nine played – those losses were against Roger Federer at Wimbledon – while this will be Berdych’s maiden premier tournament final.

Those varied experiences could well be a major factor in the outcome of this match, despite the Czech’s fine wins over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

The 12th seed is 7/1 to win in five sets here but more likely is a 3-1 loss to Nadal – that’s a 5/2 chance.

Tiredness could be an issue also, with Nadal (and his knees) having played two sets more than his opponent, despite an impressive straight sets win over Andy Murray. For the Spaniard to lose the first set but go on to win – as he did in the quarter-final tie against Robin Soderling – you can get odds of 4/1.

Can 24-year-old Berdych defeat his mate of the same age? He’s 9/2 to win the first set and the match. See the full Rafael Nadal v Tomas Berdych match betting market.