De Minaur drawn in Djokovic’s quarter at Wimbledon
Australia’s Alex de Minaur has been dealt a tough hand at Wimbledon this year, with the No.9 seed drawn in Novak Djokovic’s quarter.
The 25-year-old also has seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz as a potential round-of-16 opponent.
De Minaur starts against fellow Australian James Duckworth, who received a lucky loser spot in the main draw after falling in the final round of qualifying.
Should de Minaur prevail, he’ll potentially face another Australian further down the road as well.
Thanasi Kokkinakis is a possible third round opponent, if the world No.92 can overcome No.17 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the opening round.
Alcaraz and Sinner rematch looking likely in London
When the Wimbledon draw was announced in London on Friday, all eyes were on one thing: where the top three seeds would be distributed.
Along with Djokovic ($5), Carlos Alcaraz ($3.50) and Jannik Sinner ($2.75) are the other two favourites to win the Grand Slam with tennis betting sites.
The pair have been placed in the same half of the draw, meaning they’ll potentially play in a repeat of their French Open semi-final earlier this month.
Alcaraz has Casper Ruud seeded as his quarter-final opponent, while Sinner is on track to meet former world No.1 Daniil Medvedev if he makes the last eight.
However, Sinner will need to navigate one of the most exciting early matches that the tournament’s draw has produced.
The Italian will face countryman Matteo Berrettini in the second round if both win their opening encounters.
Berrettini is a grass court specialist who made the final of Wimbledon in 2021 and has been ranked as high as No.6 in the world.
Djokovic’s knee looking good
Until the Wimbledon draw was announced, Djokovic’s participation in the tournament was uncertain.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion had undergone knee surgery less than three weeks ago after withdrawing from the French Open.
However, not only is Djokovic in the Wimbledon draw, but he’s received a helpful first few rounds.
The seven-time winner in London avoids any big names in the first two rounds, playing only qualifiers or lower-ranked British wildcards.
The first seed he may encounter is No.30 Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round, with a potential round-of-16 against the mercurial Holger Rune.
Should Djokovic make the quarter-finals, he’s seeded to play Hurkacz, who he owns a 7-0 head-to-head against.
More News
-
Australian tennis continues thriving on grass ahead of Wimbledon
-
Murray wins 1,000th ATP match as de Minaur flops at Queen’s
-
Tennis: Thompson snaps losing streak with Rune upset
-
De Minaur wins Libema Open, hits career-high world ranking
-
De Minaur continues fast start to grass season
-
De Minaur advances as Duckworth, Vukic spring big upsets
-
Aussie tennis stars hit the grass ahead of Wimbledon
-
De Minaur well placed for Wimbledon after French Open run
