London, June 27 (AFP\/APP): Novak Djokovic begins his bid to match Pete Sampras as a seven-time Wimbledon champion on Monday, with British Grand Slam title winners Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu also on Centre Court’s opening day agenda.<\/p>\n
In the absence of the banned Daniil Medvedev and injured Alexander Zverev, 20-time major winner Djokovic takes top seeding.<\/p>\n
The 35-year-old defending champion starts his title bid against South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo, the world number 75.<\/p>\n
Djokovic has extra motivation this year as Wimbledon will be his last Slam of 2022.<\/p>\n
His continued refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19 means he will remain barred from entering the United States for the US Open later this summer.<\/p>\n
Also adding fuel to the Djokovic fire is the chance to win a fourth successive Wimbledon title and join a select group.<\/p>\n
In the Open era, only Bjorn Borg, Sampras and Roger Federer have managed to complete such a streak of dominance at the All England Club.<\/p>\n
– ‘Dreamt of winning’ –<\/p>\n
“As a seven, eight-year-old boy I’ve dreamt of winning Wimbledon and becoming number one,” said Djokovic.<\/p>\n
“Pete Sampras winning his first Wimbledon was the first tennis match I ever saw on the TV.”<\/p>\n
After a cancelled edition due to the pandemic in 2020 and a reduced capacity tournament last year, Wimbledon returns to full house crowds for 2022.<\/p>\n
However, missing from the line-up are a host of Russian and Belarusian players who were banned following the Russia-Ukraine conflict.<\/p>\n
As well as Medvedev, world number eight Andrey Rublev is absent as are three of the top 20 women — Aryna Sabalenka, Daria Kasatkina and two-time major winner and former number one Victoria Azarenka.<\/p>\n
In retaliation for the ban, the ATP and WTA tours have stripped Wimbledon of ranking points.<\/p>\n
Murray, the Wimbledon champion in 2013 and 2016, is unseeded this year but remains a dangerous floater in the draw.<\/p>\n
He made the Stuttgart grass-court final earlier this month before an abdominal injury forced him out of Queen’s.<\/p>\n
“I think he’s one of the most dangerous players on grass still,” said Australia’s Nick Kyrgios.<\/p>\n
“I definitely think the way he can handle speed, return, compete, slice, volley, as long as his body is feeling well.”<\/p>\n
Murray takes on Australia’s 77th-ranked James Duckworth who has yet to register a win on the main tour in 2022.<\/p>\n
However, the 30-year-old did make the third round at Wimbledon in 2021.
\nDuckworth’s career had been undermined by requiring nine surgeries in the last decade.<\/p>\n
Raducanu, the shock 2021 US Open champion, plays Wimbledon for the first time as a Grand Slam winner.<\/p>\n
She made the fourth round last year but has been plagued by inconsistent form since her triumph in New York.<\/p>\n
– ‘Ready to go’ –<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old has been battling a side strain but insisted she is “ready to go” against 46th-ranked Alison Van Uytvanck.<\/p>\n
The Belgian player made the last 16 four years ago.<\/p>\n
Also in action on the first day is French Open runner-up and third seed Casper Ruud.<\/p>\n
The Norwegian starts against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.<\/p>\n
Ruud has lost in the first round on his two appearances at the tournament.
\nHe was also defeated in his only grass-court outing this summer by world number 180 Ryan Peniston at Queen’s.<\/p>\n
Spanish 19-year-old and fifth-seed Carlos Alcaraz faces Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.<\/p>\n
Women’s second seed Anett Kontaveit tackles Bernarda Pera of the United States as the Estonian looks to reach the second week of Wimbledon for the first time.<\/p>\n
Despite her lofty ranking of two in the world, the 26-year-old Kontaveit has a mediocre record at the Slams, making the quarter-finals just once in 28 appearances.<\/p>\n
Eight-time champion Roger Federer is missing Wimbledon as he recovers from knee surgery.<\/p>\n
However, Serena Williams will play her first singles match since last year’s championship as she bids again to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slams.<\/p>\n
The American star, a seven-time champion at Wimbledon, gets her campaign underway on Tuesday as does Rafael Nadal.<\/p>\n
The Spaniard has already collected the Australian Open and French Open this year to put himself halfway to a first men’s calendar Grand Slam since 1969.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
London, June 27 (AFP\/APP): Novak Djokovic begins his bid to match Pete Sampras as a seven-time Wimbledon champion on Monday, with British Grand Slam title winners Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu also on Centre Court’s opening day agenda. In the absence of the banned Daniil […]<\/p>\n
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