Wimbledon 2015 draw is tough on Andy Murray, but there is no need to panic despite prospect of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer en route to potential final with Novak Djokovic
- Wimbledon, the season's third Grand Slam, kicks off on Monday June 29
- British No 1 Andy Murray has been handed a tough draw for championship
- Murray could face Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on route to the final
- Wimbledon ladies draw: Find out who the women face here
- Wimbledon 2015 tennis: CLICK HERE for all the latest SW19 news
Appearances can be deceptive when it comes to Grand Slam draws, as Andy Murray knows full well after his triumph at Wimbledon 2013.
When the names were pulled out prior to that event it looked like he was destined for a group of death.
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga were lying in wait, poised to snuff out his chances of ending a 77-year wait for a British winner of the men’s singles.
Andy Murray grimaces on the morning he finds out he faces a tough draw in his bid to win second Wimbledon
The British No 1 practices on Friday under the watchful eye of coach Amelie Mauresmo
Murray could face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on way to the title
Murray inspects his hand and discovers an insect during a pre-Wimbledon practice session
Pregnant coach Mauresmo covers her face as Murray deals with his creepy crawly issue
The 2013 Wimbledon champion wipes the bug on the grass before resuming the session on Friday
Murray in action during practice at Wimbledon as his coach Mauresmo watches on Wednesday
Yet history tells us that, until he met Novak Djokovic in the final, Murray did not play anyone ranked higher than 20 (Mikhail Youznhy) as the seeds tumbled.
So reading too much into Friday morning’s draw is dangerous, but does not alter the overall view that the 28-year-old Scot deserves to be rated as equal favourite alongside Djokovic, even if the bookies might not agree.
One thing we know for certain is that Murray cannot play the Serb until the final — something neither will be unhappy about.
Murray will also have noticed that his nemesis has a tricky draw right from the off against Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber. Somebody might remove Djokovic before he gets to the final, but even if that does not happen, it is not the worst time to play him.
While the World No 1 has won all five of his championship deciders at the Australian Open, he has had problems elsewhere. Djokovic has lost six out of his past seven finals away from Melbourne, the exception being at SW19 last year.
We wait to see if the disappointment of failing to win the French Open, his prime target for the year, has had any effect.
The British No 1 practices with Spaniard Rafael Nadal ahead of the tournament at SW19 starting on Monday
The 28-year-old has been handed a tricky draw but can only meet world No 1 Novak Djokovic in the final
Defending champion Novak Djokovic practices on Thursday ahead of the start of his title defence
Neither he nor Murray have enjoyed success by looking too far ahead. They know that everybody who makes the second week will have been doing something right.
This Wimbledon, the players have had an extra week to get used to grass after Paris. Apart from Djokovic, most have played at least one tournament.
This is likely to mean fewer upsets, as a lack of familiarity with the eccentricities of the surface will be less of a leveller. Against that is the fact that Wimbledon’s courts tend to be slicker and more lush for the first four days than those at Queen’s, so there could yet be some tumbles.
Nadal might be among the beneficiaries of the longer gap, despite his early defeat at the Aegon Championships, as he tries to go beyond the fourth round for the first time since 2011. Strange to say, Nadal is among the lesser-known quantities this year but if he beats compatriot David Ferrer to make the quarter-finals he will be a serious threat.
Murray is projected to face Federer in the last four at SW19 in the second week
Before that, Murray might have to beat Tsonga in the fourth round, although the Frenchman could struggle to get that far. He has not played since the French Open semi-final because of a groin problem and has a nightmare first-round draw against Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller.
Murray’s first opponent is Mikhail Kukushkin, the world No 58 from Kazakhstan. Together, they make up two-thirds of those in the men’s top 100 who are coached by women, Kukushkin by his wife Anastasia. The other man with a female coach is Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan.
Roger Federer is seeded to reach the final and won the title in Halle last Sunday but his draw is not straightforward. In the second round he is likely to meet American Sam Querrey, a past winner at Queen’s who is in today’s Aegon Open final at Nottingham.
Defending champion Djokovic is in line to face No 4 seed and French Open winner Stan Wawrinka
It is to be hoped that Murray is not Britain’s sole winner in a year when there are only 10 home entrants due to fewer wildcards being handed out.
Serena Williams looks to have the rougher half of the draw as she attempts to become holder of all four women’s Grand Slam titles, including a potential third- round clash with her sister Venus.
Victoria Azarenka might come after that and Maria Sharapova in the semi-final. Williams looks to be over the ailments that nearly derailed her in Paris but if she suffers some of the mental dips to which she is prone then matches can escape quicker on grass than on other surfaces.
Defending champion Petra Kvitova missed Eastbourne. The Czech has the talent but a possible fourth-round meeting with Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska could be testing and she also has dangerous sleepers in her half of the draw such as American Madison Keys and Sabine Lisicki of Germany.
The women’s competition might not have the juicy potential match-ups so easy to see among the men’s, but one suspects it will be less predictable.
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