Nadal star power stretches to far reaches of galaxy



Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with the trophy after winning his finals match against Roger Federer of Switzerland at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London July 6, 2008.



Rafael Nadal's dazzling career reached new heights this week when an asteroid was named after him following his epic Wimbledon victory.

The request to name the lump of rock after the man who ended Roger Federer's five-year reign as Wimbledon champion came from an astronomical observatory on Nadal's home island of Majorca and was approved by the International Astronomical Union.

Star gazers can find Nadal's asteroid between Mars and Jupiter and the 22-year-old has himself been invited to the Majorcan observatory to view it himself.

According to the website of men's governing body the ATP, the asteroid was discovered five years ago just before Nadal burst on to the scene. It is four kilometres in diameter and speeds through space at 20km per second.

The Astronomical Observatory of Mallorca said it was a tribute to "one of the greatest tennis players of all time".

Nadal beat Federer in five sets in one of the greatest matches ever witnessed last Sunday.

The four-times French Open champion is now setting his sights on gold at next month's Beijing Olympics.





刚刚摘得温网桂冠的拉斐尔•纳达尔本周再获惊喜：他的名字将用来给一颗小行星命名。

近日，纳达尔在温布尔登网球公开赛中终结费德勒的五连胜，首夺冠军。为了向他表示敬意，纳达尔家乡马略卡岛的一个天文观测台向国际天文协会提出申请，要求用纳达尔的名字给一颗小行星命名，并已获得批准。

今年22岁的纳达尔也应邀前往马略卡观测台亲眼观测这颗以他名字命名的小行星。"纳达尔"小行星位于火星和木星之间。

据ATP（职业男子网球协会）官网介绍，这颗小行星于五年前被发现，它的直径为4公里，运行速度为每秒20公里。这颗行星发现后不久，纳达尔便名扬网坛。

马略卡天文观测中心称，用纳达尔的名字为小行星命名是为了"向这位网坛最伟大的球员"致敬。

上周日的温网公开赛盛况空前，纳达尔苦战五局，击败费德勒。

眼下，这位法网四连冠得主又将目光瞄准了将于下月开幕的北京奥运会的金牌。
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