Millman eyes Wimbledon stoush with Nadal

London, UK, 2 July 2017 | AAP

Far from intimidated, John Millman is relishing a showcourt showdown with Rafael Nadal after copping what most would consider a horror Wimbledon draw.

After another wretched run with injury, Millman feels he’s back to the form that carried him to a third-round meeting with Andy Murray last year and hopes to prove a banana skin for the world No.2 Nadal.

“We start off even, it’s early on in the slam and anything’s possible,” the resilient Queenslander Millman said ahead of his first-round tussle with Nadal on Monday.

“I’ve been brought up the wrong way if I went into a match thinking I couldn’t win.

“It sounds stupid maybe when you’re up against someone of the calibre of a Rafael Nadal and all he’s done, but I’ve always been brought up not to play anyone’s reputation.

“Be respectful to your opponent but turn it into a fight out there.”

Australia’s world No.137 believes the newly-crowned 10-time French Open champion will be vulnerable on the opening day of the 131st championships.

“All the top guys, if you’re going to get them, you want to get them early on when it’s a little bit fresh,” Millman said.

“Rafa’s a little bit of a daunting prospect due to the fact that he seems at times relentless in his approach in early rounds.

“He wants to get on and get off the court. He’s not going out there to make any friends.

“It’s definitely a tough draw. I’ve got him pegged as one of the two favourites going into the tournament, but what an opportunity.

“This is what you play for and these are the ones you remember and I feel like I’m in a good place right now; so hopefully I can go on from that and play some good tennis.”