ANDY MURRAY HAS been drawn on the opposite side of the draw to top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic but faces an extremely tough route to the final in his quest for a second title at SW19.
Murray will face Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushin in the first round, who is ranked 58th in the world rankings and has lost to Murray on both the two occasions they have previously played each other.
The bad news for Murray is that he may have to get past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Rafa Nadal and seven-time champion Roger Federer to set up a potential meeting with Djokovic in the final. He will enter Wimbledon in a rich vein of form, however, after following up his best ever clay-court season by winning the title at Queen’s on Sunday.
Meanwhile, defending champion and world number one Djokovic has been handed a tricky opening match against world number 33 Phillip Kohlschreiber, who reached the quarter-final back in 2012. A last four match with fourth-seed Stan Wawrinka is likely to be Djokovic’s biggest obstacle but he could potentially face Lleyton Hewitt, Bernard Tomic and Kevin Anderson, all of whom are dangerous opponents on grass.
Federer, hoping to win a record eighth Wimbledon triumph, faces Damir Dzumhur in the first round while Nadal plays Thomaz Belluci and Wawrinka is up against Portugal’s Joao Sousa.
In the women’s draw, fourth-seed and 2004 champion Maria Sharapova takes on British number two Johanna Konta. Sharapova is in the same half of the draw as top seed Serena Williams, who kicks off her attempt to win a sixth Wimbledon title against Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan.
Williams is bidding to hold all four majors at the same time for the second time in her career and could face sister Venus in the fourth round of this year’s competition.
Petra Kvitova, who stormed to her second title last year when she crushed Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard in the final, will begin against Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands.
“C’MONNN TIM”
Nadal will do well to make the quarters to be honest, his form is brutal and grass is his least favourite surface
I wouldn’t rule Nadal out over 5 sets whatever the surface!!! He’s won wimby twice and Queens!!!
ya haven’t a clue, Nadal got knocked out of first round of queens, he’s just hanging in there, his ranking is gone to Shiite as well, would love to see him take on a 33 year old Federer now
Lol come ere love , you haven’t a clue. Nadal won the grass tournament in Stuttgart, Mercedes Cup so know your facts..! Beal Bocht is right!! Ha ha.
Queens titles, Wimbledon champion twice, Stuttgart title….the boy can play on grass and is a grinder on court!! Nadal would beat Murray and Federer no question!!! Bring it on!! :)
There’s an easy way?
Personally I’d like either Andy or Rafa to win it..!! Or even a dangerous floater!!! Anyone but Jockitch…!!!! He’s an irritant!!!!
Jockitch
Yea Jockitch
He’s the Jimmy white of tennis
Not really, he has won wimbledon
In what way exactly? Jimmy White was one of the most naturally gifted snooker players of his generation – who also had an unfortunate habit of bottling finals. Murray is a very good player but he’s a level below he likes of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal. Don’t really see the comparison tbh.
I disagree on the Nadal federer remark!he was but not now!also on his day Stan wawrinka can beat anyone
Agree but it must be bored age is caring up with the Fed…in his pomp the best we gave ever seen.
Just because Murray can beat Federer and Nadal now doesn’t mean he’s not a level below.
Federer is nearly 34 (ancient in tennis) and Nadal may as well be 40 with his injuries.
That’s like saying Tyson Fury is on the same level as Mike Tyson just because he could beat him now.
It’s Djokovic’s to lose.