World No. 1 Iga Swiatek could be up against defending champion Marketa Vondrousova in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, as per the draw announced on Friday.
The other projected quarterfinals are – 2022 champion Elena Rybakina vs fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula, second-seeded American Coco Gauff vs French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini, and Aryna Sabalenka vs Qinwen Zheng in what would be a rematch of this year’s Australian Open final.
Four-time Major winner Swiatek, who is chasing her maiden title at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, opens her campaign against USA’s Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion.
Vondrousova, who became the first unseeded women’s champion at the grass Major last year, begins her title defence with a first-round fixture against Spain’s Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro while two-time runner-up Ons Jabeur takes on Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima.
Top-ranked British player Katie Boulter, seeded 32nd, will be up against 2022 semifinalist Tatjana Maria of Germany. Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, has been awarded a wildcard and opens her campaign against 22nd-seeded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.
First-round matches to watch out
[1] Iga Swiatek (POL) vs Sofia Kenin (USA)
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) vs Angelique Kerber (GER)
[7] Jasmine Paolini (ITA) vs Sara Sorribes Tormo (JPN)
[13] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) vs [WC] Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS)
[16] Victoria Azarenka vs Sloane Stephens (USA)
[21] Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs Magda Linette (POL)
[22] Ekaterina Alexandrova vs [WC] Emma Raducanu (GBR)
[24] Mirra Andreeva vs Brenda Fruhvirtova (CZE)
Paula Badosa (ESP) vs Karolina Muchova (CZE)
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com