Wimbledon | Auger-Aliassime will have an appointment with Krajinovic

(Wimbledon) Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime will meet Serbian Filip Krajinovic in the first round of the Wimbledon tournament, we learned following the draw made on Friday.

Auger-Aliassime, 11^e seeded, is 3-2 in career against Krajinovic, 204^e racket in the world. However, the two tennis players have never faced each other on the grass in their professional careers.

For his part, Ontarian Denis Shapovalov, 26^e seeded, will cross swords with the Moldovan Radu Albot in the first round.

Finally, Milos Raonic, who recently withdrew from the Queen’s Club tournament due to shoulder pain, is set to face Austrian Dennis Novak in the first round.

On the women’s side, the Quebecer Leylah Annie Fernandez must rub shoulders with the Ukrainian Kateryna Baindl, 206^e in the world, in the first round on Monday.

Ontario’s Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, will face Hungary’s Anna Bondar on Tuesday, while Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino will face Irina-Camelia Begu.

For her part, Ontario’s Carol Zhao, who qualified for the main draw on Thursday, will face Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch.

In addition, Venus Williams will begin her 24^e career run at Wimbledon against Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, while Briton Andy Murray will have a first-round meeting with compatriot Ryan Peniston.

Williams, who is 43 and has only played five games so far this season, and Svitolina, who returned to the WTA Tour in April after giving birth to her first child, have each earned a bye to the main draw at the All England Club.

Whoever prevails may have to face the 28^e seeded Elise Mertens in the second round before facing American Coco Gauff (no 7) – who was just 15 when she started her Grand Slam career by beating Williams at Wimbledon in 2019.

Williams triumphed at Wimbledon in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008, in addition to winning the US Open twice.

Will Swiatek be present?

In the quarterfinals, the favorite, Iga Swiatek, could have to face Gauff, while Jessica Pegula (no 4) would find herself facing Caroline Garcia (no 5). In the lower portion of the table, Elena Rybakina (no 3) could face Ons Jabeur (no 6), while Aryna Sabalenka (no 2) could face Maria Sakkari (no 8).

Swiatek, however, withdrew from the Bad Homburg tournament on Friday as she suffered from a fever and possible food poisoning, just three days before the start of the Wimbledon tournament. It is unclear at this time whether she will be restored in time for the start of the London tournament.

Djokovic against Cachin

On the men’s side, deep sighs were heard in the draw room after Murray learned he was going to face Peniston in the first round. And the winner of this duel will not be out of the woods, since he will cross paths in the second round with the fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, or the United States Open champion in 2020, Dominic Thiem.

The tournament gets underway at the All England Club on Monday, and second seed Novak Djokovic will begin his journey to a fifth consecutive title – and eighth overall – at Wimbledon against Argentine Pedron Cachin, 67^e in the world.

Djokovic, who is also midway through a Grand Slam title sweep after triumphing at the Australian Open and French Open, is also eyeing a 24^e major career title – which would allow him to establish a new modern mark.

In the quarter-finals, the favorite, Carlos Alcaraz, could face Holger Rune (no 6), while Daniil Medvedev (no 3) could rub shoulders with Tsitsipas in the first part of the table. In the other, Djokovic could be pitted against Andrey Rublev (no 7), while Casper Ruud (no 4) could find himself against Jannik Sinner (no 8).

Alcaraz’s first match will be presented on Tuesday against Frenchman Jérémy Chardy.

With Howard Fendrich, Associated Press