Novak Djokovic handed James Ward opener
Saturday 25 June 2016 00:09, UK
Andy Murray has been handed an all-British tie in the Wimbledon first round, after Friday's draw paired him with Liam Broady.
The event gets underway on Monday and Murray cannot face the top seed and world No 1 Novak Djokovic until the final while 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer could potentially face the Serb in what would be a blockbuster of a semi-final.
Murray has lost the first two Grand Slam finals of the year to Djokovic and having re-recruited Ivan Lendl to his coaching team will hope to add to his 2013 Wimbledon title and 2012 US Open crown.
The Scot, who is seeded second for the Championships, is likely to kick off his campaign on Tuesday against British No 6 and world No 234 Broady.
The 22-year-old from from Stockport was the 2011 junior Wimbledon runner-up and played in his first ever main draw matches at the event last year when he was given a wild card - he responded by coming from two sets down to beat Marinko Matosevic in the first round before a straight sets exit to David Goffin.
"It's a real David against Goliath, Leicester City winning the league situation, maybe even less likely," Broady said.
"I love playing at Wimbledon, I'm just really excited. I know Andy pretty well. I know there aren't any weaknesses to his game. But there's no pressure. I enjoy playing in these conditions and in front of a lot of people."
Murray is seeded to face Australian's Nick Kyrgios in the last 16 before a quarter-final against Richard Gasquet who he beat in the French Open quarter-final and memorably from two-sets down at the All England Club in 2008.
Gasquet will face British No 2 Aljaz Bedene in his opener.
Murray's seeded semi-final opponent is two-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka who has not gone beyond the last eight at the All England Club and face a tough first round against rising American star Taylor Fritz.
Top seed and champion for each of the last two years Djokovic will continue his quest for a calendar year Grand Slam against Britain's James Ward - but he does face the prospect of a tough quarter-final against Milos Raonic.
The world number one is looking to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four majors in a year and heads to Wimbledon as the first man since Jim Courier in 1992 to win the year's first two slams.
Djokovic could face another Brit, Kyle Edmund in the second round, if the latter can overcome Adrian Mannarino in the first round.
Federer has been handed a first round opener against world No 51 from Argentina Guido Pella.
The Swiss great missed his first slam since 1999 when withdrawing from the French Open with a back injury, the latest issue in an injury-plagued season which has seen him yet to claim a title and reach just one final - in Brisbane in January.
However having lost to Djokovic in each of the last two Wimbledon finals and as a seven-time champion of the event he will feel this is perhaps his best and maybe event last chance to claim an 18th Grand Slam title and first since 2012.
Other Brits already in the main draw include Dan Evans who faces Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff while Brydan Klein faces Nicolas Mahut and Alex Ward faces a tough test against Belgian eleventh seed David Goffin.
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