WIMBLEDON DRAW: Emma Raducanu faces a tricky first goal against Belgian Alison van Uytvanck, but avoids the unstoppable Iga Swiatek in the top half of the draw as Andy Murray is paired with Australian James Duckworth.
- Briton Andy Murray will face Australian James Duckworth in the first round
- The former Wimbledon champion avoided a draw against a series-leading rival
- Emma Raducanu will face the world number 61, the Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck
- The U.S. Open champion is recovering from a side injury before next week
By Mike Dickson for the Daily Mail
Posted: 10:48, 24 June 2022 | Updated: 10:30 p.m., June 24, 2022
Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu are set for a double bill on Wimbledon opening day, but only if the U.S. Open champion can prove her fitness this weekend.
Half of the draw will be played on Monday, but there are doubts about whether Raducanu can move on to the center court.
He practiced on Friday morning but skipped the session on track number 1 in the afternoon. Whether it can serve properly with the remnants of a side tension is a problem, and there are rules that discourage players from competing with a pre-existing injury.
Emma Raducanu will play Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck as long as she is fit to play next week
Andy Murray has avoided a series-leading opponent in the first round while playing against James Duckworth
If he retired, he would receive 50 per cent of the first round losing £ 50,000 prize. His representatives did not comment on whether the tension has worsened. Another update is expected on Saturday.
Raducanu received one of the toughest draws when he paired with world number 46 Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium in the first round.
Murray will face Australian ATP world number 77 James Duckworth in his first match.
The reigning male champion Novak Djokovic was one of the big names who will have heard that Friday’s draw treated them kindly.
Murray could be ready for a tough test in the second round against John Isner if the two men advance
An advantage for the 35-year-old Serb, who faces Korean Kwon Soon-woo in the first round, is that he has remained far behind Matteo Berrettini, the eighth seed to reach the final. one year.
The Italian has to face Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals, but Djokovic’s expected rival in the quarter-finals is Hubert Hurkacz, the Pole who beat Roger Federer in last year’s quarter-finals. Of the 17 British players in the local individual contingent, none have drawn any series leaders.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are the top two seeded men in the tournament’s men’s team
Serena Williams could have a chance to play herself in the tournament, with just two doubles matches in Eastbourne this week behind her.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion starts against world No. 113 French Harmony Tan, and would like her chances to beat 32nd favorite Sara Sorribes Tormo in the second round. Williams could then play last year’s runner-up Karolina Pliskova, although earlier the Czech could have to face Britain’s Katie Boulter, who beat her on the south coast this week.
Serena Williams returns without playing since last year’s championships