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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 additionally on the Centre Courtroom agenda.
Within the absence of the banned Daniil Medvedev and injured Alexander Zverev, 20-time main winner Djokovic takes prime seeding.
The 35-year-old defending champion begins his title bid towards South Korea’s Kwon Quickly-woo, the world quantity 75.
Djokovic has further motivation this yr as Wimbledon might be his final Slam of 2022.
His continued refusal to get vaccinated means he’ll stay banned from coming into the USA for the US Open later this summer time.
Additionally including gasoline to the Djokovic fireplace is the possibility to win a fourth successive Wimbledon title and be part of a choose group.
Within the Open period, solely Bjorn Borg, Sampras and Roger Federer have managed to finish such a streak of dominance on the All England Membership.
“As a seven, eight-year-old boy I’ve dreamt of successful Wimbledon and changing into primary,” stated Djokovic.
“Pete Sampras successful his first Wimbledon was the primary tennis match I ever noticed on the TV.”
Murray, the Wimbledon champion in 2013 and 2016, is unseeded this yr however stays a harmful floater within the draw.
He made the Stuttgart grass-court last earlier this month earlier than an belly harm pressured him out of Queen’s.
“I believe he’s one of the crucial harmful gamers on grass nonetheless,” stated Australia’s Nick Kyrgios.
“I undoubtedly assume the way in which he can deal with pace, return, compete, slice, volley, so long as his physique is feeling properly, I don’t need to see him on the grass in any respect.”
Murray takes on Australia’s 77th-ranked James Duckworth who has but to register a win on the primary tour in 2022.
Nonetheless, the 30-year-old did make the third spherical at Wimbledon in 2021.
Duckworth’s profession had been undermined by requiring 9 surgical procedures within the final decade.
Raducanu, the shock 2021 US Open champion, performs Wimbledon for the primary time as a Grand Slam winner.
She made the fourth spherical final yr however has been stricken by inconsistent type since her triumph in New York.
The 19-year-old has been battling a aspect pressure however insisted she is “able to go” on opening day towards Forty sixth-ranked Alison van Uytvanck.
The Belgian participant made the final 16 4 years in the past.
Additionally in motion on the primary day of the 2022 match is French Open runner-up and third seed Casper Ruud.
The Norwegian begins towards Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Ruud has misplaced within the first spherical on his two appearances on the match.
He was additionally defeated in his solely grass-court outing this summer time by world quantity 180 Ryan Peniston at Queen’s.
Spanish 19-year-old and fifth-seed Carlos Alcaraz faces Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
Ladies’s second seed Anett Kontaveit tackles Bernarda Pera of the USA because the Estonian seems to be to succeed in the second week of Wimbledon for the primary time.
Regardless of her lofty rating of two on the planet, the 26-year-old Kontaveit has a mediocre file on the Slams making the quarter-finals simply as soon as in 28 appearances.
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