Skip to content

Wimbledon 2016: Johanna Konta to face Monica Puig in first round

Johanna Konta won in straight sets at the Aegon Open
Image: Johanna Konta is seeded for the first time at Wimbledon this year

British No 1 Johanna Konta has been drawn to face Monica Puig of Puerto Rico in the first round of the women's singles at Wimbledon.

Konta, 25, is seeded 17th this year - the first British women since Jo Durie in 1984 to earn a place amongst the top rankings - while Puig, 22, is ranked 43rd in the world and has won one singles title on the WTA Tour.

Defending champion and top seed Serena Williams will open her campaign against qualifier Amra Sadikovic from Switzerland.

The American, who won the title for a sixth time last summer and is just one win away from equalling Steffi Graf's record of 22 Grand Slam titles, will then take on either compatriot Christina McHale or Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia in the second round.

Serena Williams celebrates with the winner's trophy after victory over Spain's Garbine Muguruza at Wimbledon
Image: Serena Williams celebrates with the winner's trophy after victory over Spain's Garbine Muguruza at Wimbledon last year

The draw also threw up the prospect of an all-Williams final with Serena's sister Venus, 36 and a five-time champion, in the opposite half of the draw.

Serena's path to the final could also be blocked by Roberta Vinci in the quarter-finals - the veteran Italian who ended her calendar Grand Slam hopes at the US Open last year.

French Open champion and second seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain, who beat Serena Williams in the Roland Garros final but lost to her in last year's Wimbledon final, begins against Italy's Camila Giorgi.

Also See:

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, the 10th seed, will start against Romanian Sorana Cirstea.

Konta's fellow Briton Laura Robson, who was handed a wild card for the tournament, will take on fourth seed and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber of Germany who she defeated at the same stage in 2011.

Murray to meet Brit Broady
Murray to meet Brit Broady

Andy Murray to face fellow Brit Liam Broady in first round

British No 2 Heather Watson also has a German opponent in the first round in the shape of Annika Beck who is six places above her in the WTA rankings at 44th.

Watson pushed Serena Williams all the way in third round last year and the pair could meet again at the same stage this time around.

Britain's promising 17-year-old Katie Swan faces Hungarian Timea Babos. Tara Moore plays Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck and Naomi Broady will take on Ukraine's world No 19 Elina Svitolina.

Around Sky