Wimbledon 2012: Examining Rafael Nadal's Draw for Potential Upset Candidates

The draw has been set for Rafael Nadal at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, and to Rafa's luck, the Spaniard avoided having Roger Federer on his half of the bracket. 

No. 3 Federer was placed with Wimbledon's top seed, Novak Djokovic.

However, you won't hear much in terms of celebration from Nadal, who is just weeks removed from winning his record-setting seventh French Open at Roland Garros.  That's because his side of the bracket has plenty of players capable of knocking Nadal out of this Grand Slam.

Rafa will likely have to face many of the big servers in the early rounds, which could be cause for concern on the grass at Wimbledon. This isn't the clay surface in Paris that Nadal has dominated so thoroughly, mind you. 

Can Nadal overcome some of the pesky upset candidates to reach his sixth-straight Grand Slam final? Or will he be tripped up before any rematch with Federer or Djokovic takes place? 

Here are the biggest upset candidates for Nadal at Wimbledon:

Andy Murray (No. 4)

There was a time when Murray was considered a top challenger to the top three players. Maybe he still is that player, but it hasn't showed lately. 

Nadal has knocked Murray out several times in Grand Slams recently, and it would take a major turnaround for that not to happen again here.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (No. 5)

If you're looking for an underdog to break up the "Big Three" of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer at Wimbledon, it's likely Tsonga. He held strong against Djokovic at Roland Garros, and he beat Federer in England last year. 

Tsonga has played well at Wimbledon in the past. Maybe 2012 is the year he puts it all together. 

Juan Martin del Potro (No. 9)

Del Potro gave Federer all he could handle in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, eventually falling in the fifth set. There should be a confidence to del Potro's game as he heads to Wimbledon. 

Mardy Fish (No. 10)

It remains to be seen how Fish is recovering from a heart condition that forced him out of the French Open, and his 7-6 singles record in 2012 is far below what we've seen from him over the last 24 months.

If he's closer to 100 percent, however, Fish has the serve to cause Nadal problems on grass. 

Milos Raonic (No. 21)

No one wants to face Raonic, this season's ace leader, early at Wimbledon.

He's a tough lower seed who has nearly taken down Federer twice in 2012. Once he learns how to beat the greats, he may rise to becoming one. Nadal doesn't want to become the first major victim. 

Andy Roddick (No. 30)

You can't overlook Roddick's history at Wimbledon—three times he's been the runner-up, with a trip to the semifinals thrown in, too—when thinking about his chances to pull off a major upset this year. But the fact remains that it has been three years since Roddick took Federer to a 16-14 fifth set final at Wimbledon, and age and injuries have caught up fast. 

It will take a major effort from the American to knock out Nadal, and that's assuming he even gets the chance to do so.