Challenging Wimbledon path for de Minaur as Ajla draws familiar foe

2 days ago 2

Matteo Berrettini won’t beryllium waiting for Alex de Minaur successful the 2nd circular astatine Wimbledon this year, but it is inactive acceptable to beryllium a tricky fortnight for Australia’s apical rubric hope.

There has ne'er been greater anticipation connected de Minaur heading into a expansive slam, with him arriving astatine the hallowed All England Club arsenic the satellite No.9 and caller from reaching the Roland-Garros quarter-finals.

Alex de Minaur is 1 of 14 Australians acceptable to contention this year’s Wimbledon championships.

Novak Djokovic plans to play lone a fewer weeks aft a genu operation, meaning the Australian is the tournament’s No.9 effect and volition astir surely request to decision prima Pole and seventh effect Hubert Hurkacz to scope a maiden Wimbledon quarter-final.

Crowd favourite Andy Murray besides remained successful the gully contempt undergoing country connected a spinal cyst successful what volition astir apt beryllium his Wimbledon swansong.

Four Australians – Chris O’Connell, Thanasi Kokkinakis, qualifier Alex Bolt and dual Wimbledon quarter-finalist Ajla Tomljanovic – volition commencement their campaigns against seeded rivals.

O’Connell plays American No.13 effect Taylor Fritz, Kokkinakis drew Canada’s 17th effect Felix Auger Aliassime – de Minaur’s imaginable third-round hostile – and Bolt meets eighth-seeded Dane Casper Ruud.

Left-handed rocket-server Bolt, ranked No.234, arguably has the champion accidental of the trio, fixed his grasscourt pedigree and Ruud’s underwhelming 2-4 vocation grounds astatine Wimbledon.

Tomljanovic volition renew acquaintances with ill-tempered Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, successful a rematch of their three-set grudge lucifer successful the 3rd circular 3 years ago, aft which they exchanged barbs and the Australian accused her of faking an injury.

Ostapenko, the No.13 seed, won their 3 different matches, including different three-setter astatine this year’s Australian Open. Tomljanovic insists determination is nary longer atrocious humor betwixt them.

“We’re cool, I would say,” Tomljanovic said.

Ajla Tomljanovic volition renew acquaintances with Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.

“We had a deed successful Birmingham for 30 minutes and, look, for me, what happened was successful the past. Looking backmost astatine it aft each these years, like, did I overreact? Maybe. In the moment, I felt what I felt, and I don’t, successful a way, regret it, but I bash deliberation that sometimes successful the vigor of the battle, it’s besides bully to amusement emotion.

“We’re capable to accidental hullo [to each different now], and I bash respect her astatine the aforesaid clip – I think, maybe, it is mutual.”

Hurkacz, similar de Minaur, is 1 of the champion servers and grasscourters connected the satellite – and pushed satellite No.1 Jannik Sinner to 2 tiebreak sets successful past week’s Halle final.

The victor of that projected clash would apt conscionable seven-time champion Djokovic successful the past eight, though de Minaur indispensable archetypal negociate an all-Australian opener against fortunate loser James Duckworth.

Duckworth scored a precocious reprieve aft losing successful final-round qualifying, erstwhile de Minaur’s archetypal opponent, France’s Corentin Moutet, withdrew with a bony edema to springiness Australia 14 players crossed the men’s and women’s draws.

The 11 Australian men successful the main gully equals the country’s effort from 2015, erstwhile some Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic were seeded, Lleyton Hewitt was a wildcard recipient, and 3 players qualified.

“It’s truly cool. Aussie tennis, men’s and women’s, is successful specified a bully spot,” said Rinky Hijikata, 1 of 3 Australians – on with Adam Walton and qualifier Olivia Gadecki – making their Wimbledon debut.

“From my acquisition connected the guys’ side, the camaraderie and the civilization betwixt everyone is unbelievable.

“I’m 1 of the youngest, and I consciousness similar everyone’s benignant of taken maine nether their wing, and I’ve said it before, but they’ve each been truthful adjuvant [with] the modulation of playing connected the main tour. I don’t deliberation I would person been capable to modulation and beryllium arsenic comfy without everyone’s guidance.”

Berrettini ruined de Minaur’s hopes of a heavy tally past twelvemonth and this clip could beryllium a thorn successful the broadside of chap Italian Sinner successful the 2nd round.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz besides landed connected Sinner’s broadside of the draw, and they could look disconnected successful a blockbuster semi-final for the 2nd consecutive major.

There is crushed to judge de Minaur’s countrymen could besides origin a stir, with Queen’s Club semi-finalist Jordan Thompson 1 to watch.

Thompson starts with Russia’s Pavel Kotov earlier facing No.18 effect Sebastian Baez oregon Brandon Nakashima, past apt 16th effect Ugo Humbert successful the circular of 32.

Max Purcell (Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen), Hijikata (Italy’s Flavio Cobolli), Alexei Popyrin (Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro), Aleks Vukic (Austrian Sebastian Ofner) and Walton (Argentine Federico Coria) besides avoided seeded opponents first-up.

Purcell edged retired in-form Brit Billy Harris successful a choky three-setter successful the Eastbourne semi-finals connected Friday aft helium started the week successful qualifying. He volition play Fritz successful the last aft the American ousted Vukic successful 2 tiebreaks.

The remaining 2 Australians successful the women’s gully besides dodged a effect successful the archetypal round, with Gadecki facing chap qualifier Robin Montgomery and seasoned Daria Saville acceptable to play Peyton Stearns.

“There’s thing precise magical astir walking done those doors [at Wimbledon],” Gadecki said. “It’s specified a prestigious lawsuit and to beryllium capable to play successful the main gully is amazing.”

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