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Rafael Nadal won't be playing at Wimbledon this year. That's great news for Andy Murray and Roger Federer. (AP Image)

Friday's surprising news that defending champion Rafael Nadal will miss Wimbledon because of his bothersome knees does more than rob tennis fans and bettors of a possible epic final replay against Roger Federer.

It also elevates Andy Murray to the favorite in my opinion.

The Brit is currently 11/4 to win tennis' lone grass-court major. That's second to Federer (4/5), who has won this tournament five teams and might be poised to break Pete Sampras record of 14 Grand Slam titles as well as return to No. 1 in the world off his French Open championship. Federer should be the overwhelming favorite.

But Murray is the big winner of the Nadal news. That's because Murray, now seeded No. 2, was in the same half of the Nadal draw (and thus won't have to play Federer until a possible final). The Spaniard had reached the final at the All England Club in the past three years and routed Murray in straight sets in a 2008 quarterfinal.

Now the highest-rated possible semifinal opponent for Murray is Argentine Juán Martín del Potro, the world No. 5, who is a clay-courter and has only won two career matches at Wimbledon.

Perhaps most important is that Murray is 6-2 in his career against Federer, including two victories in two tries this year and four in a row. It's clear he has confidence against the Swiss star.

Murray also enters having just become the first British champion of the warm-up Queen's Club tournament in 71 years. It was his first-ever grass-court title and continued what has been a great year, with Murray going 40-6 with four titles (second in championships to Nadal).

"I'm playing very well just now," Murray said to reporters. "I feel physically strong."

Obviously history is against Murray, considering no British men's player has won this tournament since Fred Perry in 1936. But at 11/4, put some money down on history finally repeating itself. Think that would be big news in England?

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