A year after a cancellation due to covid, the Wimbledon draw on Friday offered a dream: that of a final between Roger Federer who is aiming for his 21st major title and Novak Djokovic who hopes to equal the current record from 20.
Among the women, the expected duel between Serena Williams, still looking at 39 for a 24th Grand Slam title to equal Margaret Court’s record, and world No.1 Ashleigh Barty can only occur in the semi-finals .
Almost 40 years old, Federer will begin his journey towards a 9th coronation in his London garden against the French Adrian Mannarino (42nd worldwide) who has never exceeded the 8th finals in nine participations in the main draw.
The big favorite Novak Djokovic inherited him to start from the Briton Jack Draper (250th and guest).
Federer and Djokovic can only meet in the final, for a possible remake of the 2019 final where the Serbian had saved two match points before winning.
For this, the Swiss should have on his way in the quarterfinals Daniil Medvedev (2nd), who plays Friday the semi-finals on the grass of Mallorca, then in the semi-finals Alexander Zverev (6th) or Matteo Berrettini (9th), winner of the Queen’s Sunday latest.
– Revanche Djokovic-Tsitsipas –
For his part, the world No. 1 who tries to equal the record for Majors (20) jointly held by Federer and Rafael Nadal (absent) could face Andrey Rublev (7th) or Jannik Sinner (23rd) in the quarterfinals. Then in the semifinals it would be Stefanos Tsitsipas (4th) for a revenge of the superb Roland-Garros final two weeks ago when Djokovic had recovered two sets to win and become the only player of the Open era to have won in the at least twice each of the four Grand Slam titles.
Recipient of an invitation, local hero Andy Murray (119th), winner in 2013 and 2016, will face Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili (28th) to start.
On the French side, the first round will also be difficult for Ugo Humbert (25th), winner on the grass of Halle and who will face the fantastic Australian Nick Kyrgios (61st) to start.
And if Richard Gasquet (55th) passes the 1st round against Yuichi Sugita (110th), he should fall on Federer in the 2nd, he who lost in the 2nd round of Roland Garros against Nadal.
– Halep package –
In the women’s table, deprived of world No. 2 and 3 Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep, the Romanian having announced her withdrawal due to injury a few minutes before the draw, Ashleigh Barty and Serena Williams inherited a first round within their reach .
The Australian, world No. 1 who remains on a round of 16 in 2019, will face the Spaniard Carla Suarez (138th) who bids farewell to Wimbledon after suffering from cancer.
The American (8th), still looking at 39 for a 24th major title to equal Margaret Court’s record, will start her tournament against the Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich (100th) beaten in the first round in 2019 and whose best result on the London turf is a round of 16 in 2018.
Barty and Serena Williams could find themselves in the semi-finals from the top of the table, while at the bottom, world No.4 and No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka will start against a qualifier to possibly face Sofia Kenin (6th) or Karolina. Pliskova (10th) in the semi-finals.
The draw was tough for the French: Fiona Ferro (49th) will face the Spanish Garbine Muguruza (13th and winner in 2017), Alizé Cornet (56th) will play against the Canadian Bianca Andreescu (7th and winner of the US Open) 2019 but who has not played at Wimbledon since her elimination in the 1st round in 2017), Kristina Mladenovic (59th) will challenge Kazakhe Elena Rybakina (21st but whose first participation in Wimbledon) and Caroline Garcia (77th) will be opposed to the American Jessica Pegula (25th but who remains on a defeat in the first round in 2019 for her only participation in the tournament).
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