Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic: Who Will Win the Wimbledon Title?

We are starting to see more Nadal vs. Djokovic matches than Nadal vs. Federer matches. The new rivalry is more baseline-oriented and physical, and less of a serving competition than many famous rivalries in tennis history.

As these two face each other in their second Wimbledon meeting (the first being won by Nadal in the 2007 semifinals), many spectators remain unsure of who will capture the grass title.

Novak Djokovic has been the hottest player this year, losing only one match since the World Tour Finals in London. He captured the Australian Open title; won in Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Belgrade, Madrid and Rome; made the semifinals at the French Open and has just reached his first-ever Wimbledon final while securing the world No. 1 ranking.

Djokovic will be looked at as the favorite (partially because of Nadal's injured foot), but Rafa will have other ideas.

Rafael Nadal leads their career head-to-head 16-11 while also leading 5-0 in Grand Slam encounters. This will be the fifth time that the two play each other this year, and, as their previous meetings did, it will occur in the final.

If Nadal wins the 2011 Wimbledon championships, he will have won five out of the past six Grand Slams; yet, he will still be ranked No. 2 underneath Djokovic.

Nadal has improved his game drastically for the grass courts over the years, adapting to quicker points, serving bigger, moving better and coming in to finish points at the net. He already has two Wimbledon titles, and has not lost a match at Wimbledon since 2007.

The win would mean much more for the Serb, as it would justify him being the world's No. 1 player. Still, grass is his worst surface, and he has looked out-of-form this tournament. His new aggressive style of play did not show in his matches.

Also, Nadal has a slight edge since he beat three quality opponents: Juan Martin del Potro, Mardy Fish and Andy Murray. Djokovic's toughest opponent was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who was barely ranked inside the top-20 coming into the tournament.

The recent history of these two players would favor Djokovic, while the overall history would favor the Spaniard. Based on how Rafa plays in the Grand Slams plus his opportunity for revenge, I believe he will win his third straight Wimbledon.

This match will go four sets (these guys just do not enjoy five-setters), and Nadal will be the one biting and kissing his trophy at the ceremony.