The two Mondays of play at Wimbledon are my favorite tennis days of the year. The second Monday is full of excitement and big name matchups, as it’s the only major where all round of 16 matches take place on the same day. Today we have the first Monday at Wimbledon, when the players first step onto the grass. The main courts are perfectly green and pristine, with two weeks of memorable stories about to unfold.
Andy Murray vs. Alexander Bublik
As is tradition, the defending champion Andy Murray will be first on Center Court. Sir Andy will make his first appearance at the All England Club since being knighted, and he must be excited after announcing that he and his wife are expecting their second child. However, many questions surround Murray’s chances over the coming fortnight. Since finally becoming the world number one at the end of last year, Murray has struggled in 2017, winning only one title amid injuries and illnesses. After regaining his form and getting to the semifinals in Paris, he lost in the first round at Queens Club to Jordan Thompson. Brett Haber of Tennis Channel in the U.S. reported that Murray was limping his way to the practice court on Saturday. On Monday he faces a player ranked outside the top 100, so this should be a straightforward affair. But all eyes will be on Murray’s condition.
Rafael Nadal vs. John Millman
The 10-time French Open champion also arrives at SW19 with some questions surrounding his chances. Nadal has not advanced past the fourth round at Wimbledon since 2011, and hasn’t played a match on grass in two years. Rafa himself has speculated as to how his knees will feel on the grass. But Nadal’s form on the hard courts and clay in the first six months of 2017 must provide him with huge confidence, so perhaps this is Rafa’s best opportunity in some time to make another deep run at The Championships. Much like Murray, Nadal’s opponent is ranked outside the top 100, so this match is must-see solely to observe Nadal’s performance.
Marin Cilic vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber
Cilic has recently been playing some of the best and most consistent tennis of his career. He’s coming off his first quarterfinal appearance at the French Open, and made the final at Queens Club where he lost an epic match to Feliciano Lopez in a prolonged third set tiebreak. The Croat has made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in each of the past three years. His opponent is a long-time member of the top 50 in the world over the past decade, though he just recently dropped out of the top 50. But Kohlschreiber is very comfortable on the grass, and more than capable of competing with higher-ranked players. Andy Murray needed to save seven match points against the German earlier this year in Dubai, and the former Wimbledon quarterfinalist defeated Steve Johnson just a few weeks ago on the grass in Stuttgart. Surprisingly, Kohlschreiber holds a 6-3 record against Cilic. This could be a tricky opening round for Cilic, who is the biggest threat for the title outside of the top five.
Ana Konjuh vs. Sabine Lisicki
Konjuh is a 19-year-old Croatian who you may recall held three match points against Agnieszka Radwanska at last year’s Wimbledon before losing 9-7 in the final set after she turned her ankle by stepping on the tennis ball. Konjuh avenged that loss by defeating Radwanska on her way to her first major quarterfinal at last year’s U.S. Open. She’s now ranked within the top 30, and perhaps she’s the next youngster who will make a shocking run at a major. Lisicki has defined her career by her Wimbledon performances, as it’s the only major where she’s found success. She notably reached the 2013 final, and holds victories at SW19 over Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. This will only be Lisicki’s second tournament of 2017, as she’s been sidelined by a shoulder injury. Lisicki’s play becomes inspired while playing on the grass courts at Wimbledon, but will her recent lack of play and tough first round draw be too much to overcome?
Victoria Azarenka vs. Cici Bellis
This will be Azarenka’s second tournament back after giving birth to her son Leo last year. While it will surely take her some time to rediscover the great form she had found in early 2016 prior to her pregnancy, she returns to a wide open women’s tour. She is a two-time former Wimbledon semifinalist, and one of the most ferocious competitors in the world. Meanwhile, this will be Bellis’ Wimbledon debut. Cici turned pro less than a year ago, but has quickly risen the WTA rankings, where she currently sits at number 40. Her season includes a victory over Agnieszka Radwanska, and just recently she reached the semifinals at the grass court event in Mallorca. This should be a fascinating battle between a two-time major champion and a WTA rookie.
Order of play
Centre Court 1pm:
(1) Andy Murray (Gbr) v Alexander Bublik (Kaz), Johanna Larsson (Swe) v (11) Petra Kvitova (Cze), Daniil Medvedev (Rus) v (5) Stan Wawrinka (Swi)
No 1 Court: 1pm:
Elise Mertens (Bel) v (10) Venus Williams (USA), (4) Rafael Nadal (Spa) v John Millman (Aus), (6) Johanna Konta (Gbr) v Su-Wei Hsieh (Tpe)
No 2 Court: 11:30am:
(12) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) v Cameron Norrie (Gbr), Marina Erakovic (Nzl) v (2) Simona Halep (Rom), Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger) v (7) Marin Cilic (Cro), Maryna Zanevska (Bel) v Heather Watson (Gbr)
Court 3 11:30am:
(20) Nick Kyrgios (Aus) v Pierre-Hugues Herbert (Fra), Ashleigh Barty (Aus) v (4) Elina Svitolina (Ukr), (21) Ivo Karlovic (Cro) v Aljaz Bedene (Gbr), (13) Jelena Ostapenko (Lat) v Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Blr)
Court 4 11:30am:
Rogerio Dutra Silva (Bra) v Benoit Paire (Fra), Peter Gojowczyk (Ger) v Marius Copil (Rom), Ying-Ying Duan (Chn) v Ana Bogdan (Rom)
Court 5 11:30am:
Andrey Kuznetsov (Rus) v (30) Karen Khachanov (Rus), Norbert Gombos (Svk) v Andreas Seppi (Ita), Madison Brengle (USA) v Richel Hogenkamp (Ned), Marketa Vondrousova (Cze) v Shuai Peng (Chn)
Court 6 11:30am:
Simone Bolelli (Ita) v Yen-Hsun Lu (Tpe), (26) Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Cro) v Carina Witthoeft (Ger), Jiri Vesely (Cze) v Illya Marchenko (Ukr)
Court 7 11:30am:
Denis Shapovalov (Can) v Jerzy Janowicz (Pol), (22) Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Cze) v Veronica Cepede Royg (Par), Lukas Rosol (Cze) v Henri Laaksonen (Swi)
Court 8 11:30am:
Camila Giorgi (Ita) v Alize Cornet (Fra), Julien Benneteau (Fra) v Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukr), Damir Dzumhur (Bih) v Renzo Olivo (Arg), Donna Vekic (Cro) v Natalia Vikhlyantseva (Rus)
Court 9 11:30am:
Carlos Berlocq (Arg) v Nikoloz Basilashvili (Geo), Sara Sorribes Tormo (Spa) v Naomi Osaka (Jpn), (21) Caroline Garcia (Fra) v Jana Cepelova (Svk), Facundo Bagnis (Arg) v Radu Albot (Mol)
Court 11 11:30am:
Thomas Fabbiano (Ita) v (24) Sam Querrey (USA), Francesca Schiavone (Ita) v Mandy Minella (Lux), Viktor Troicki (Ser) v Florian Mayer (Ger), Francoise Abanda (Can) v Kurumi Nara (Jpn)
Court 12 11:30am:
Nao Hibino (Jpn) v (17) Madison Keys (USA), (9) Kei Nishikori (Jpn) v Marco Cecchinato (Ita), (8) Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) v Andrea Petkovic (Ger), (26) Steve Johnson (USA) v Nicolas Kicker (Arg)
Court 14 11:30am:
Joao Sousa (Por) v Dustin Brown (Ger), Malek Jaziri (Tun) v (14) Lucas Pouille (Fra), Naomi Broady (Gbr) v Irina-Camelia Begu (Rom), Sabine Lisicki (Ger) v (27) Ana Konjuh (Cro)
Court 15 11:30am:
Aryna Sabalenka (Blr) v Irina Khromacheva (Rus), Andreas Haider-Maurer (Aut) v (18) Roberto Bautista Agut (Spa), Katerina Siniakova (Cze) v Maria Sakkari (Gre), Jennifer Brady (USA) v Danka Kovinic (Mne)
Court 16 11:30am:
Thiago Moura Monteiro (Bra) v Andrew Whittington (Aus), Kristyna Pliskova (Cze) v (31) Roberta Vinci (Ita), Tommy Haas (Ger) v Ruben Bemelmans (Bel), (15) Elena Vesnina (Rus) v Anna Blinkova (Rus)
Court 17 11:30am:
Kai-Chen Chang (Tpe) v Qiang Wang (Chn), Donald Young (USA) v Denis Istomin (Uzb), Dmitry Tursunov (Rus) v (28) Fabio Fognini (Ita), Yulia Putintseva (Kaz) v (18) Anastasija Sevastova (Lat)
Court 18 11:30am:
Beatriz Haddad Maia (Bra) v Laura Robson (Gbr), (31) Fernando Verdasco (Spa) v Kevin Anderson (Rsa), Marton Fucsovics (Hun) v (16) Gilles Muller (Lux)
Court TBA (not before 5pm)
Victoria Azarenka (Blr) v Catherine Cartan Bellis (USA), (25) Carla Suarez Navarro (Spa) v Eugenie Bouchard (Can)
