London: It has been a fascinating start to the 2017 Wimbledon championship, with the likes of Andy Murray, Raphael Nadal, Venus Williams, and Stanislas Wawrinka taking to the court on Day 1.
While tournament favourites Murray and Nadal cruised through to the second round, Wawrinka became the first big upset of the tournament, crashing out at the hands of 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 at the hands of Russian Daniil Medvedev.
Meanwhile, Venus Williams had an emotional day, as she broke down in the post match press conference, despite defeating Belgium’s Elise Mertens 7-6 (9/7), 6-4.
Venus broke into tears at the press conference, after she was asked about the car crash that killed a 78-year-old man. She is currently facing a lawsuit in the incident that happened near her Florida residence.
More action awaits us, as we move into Day 2 at the Mecca of Tennis. Here are some of the top matches to watch out for.
Roger Federer (Swi) vs Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukr)
All eyes will be on the Swiss master, as he gears up for yet another challenge at the Wimbledon. The 18-time Grand Slam champion will be looking to build on his seven Wimbledon victories, in his bid to overtake the likes of Pete Sampras of the USA and William Renshaw of Great Britain, to become the sole leader in terms of the number of Wimbledon men’s singles titles won.
Alexandr Dolgopolov stands in the way of Roger Federer in the first round of the tournament, as expectant fans converge towards the Centre Court. Federer starts as the out-and-out favourite in the first round against the world number 84, against whom the Swiss star has a 3-0 record.
Novak Djokovic (Ser) vs Martin Klizan (Svk)
After being terribly out of form, Novak Djokovic looks set to get himself back on track at the Wimbledon, as he faces a tricky first round test against Slovakian Martin Klizan on Tuesday.
The former champion had suffered an early third round exit last year and will be on the lookout for the road to redemption, as he looks to set things right.
Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) vs Jelena Jankovic (Srb)
We would have loved to have seen these two great players fight it out against each other at the peak of their respective careers. Alas, some things just cannot be.
Former world no. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska is on the lookout for her first Grand Slam title, as she goes face-to-face against former world number one Jelena Jankovic. However, Jankovic’s heydeys are well behind the 32-year-old. However, it would be interesting to see whether Jankovic can use her vast experience to give Radwanska a good run for her money.
Richard Gasquet (Fra) vs David Ferrer (Esp)
This is probably the most difficult to call, among all the Round 1 matches in the men’s singles draw at the Wimbledon this year. Frenchman Richard Gasquet has had his injury issues over the past year or so, but will be looking to make a strong comeback at the Mecca of Tennis.
However, he faces a stiff challenge in the form of Spaniard David Ferrer, who has the capability of doing well in big matches. The former world number three Spaniard has, however, struggled for form over the last few years.
Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) vs Ons Jabeur (Tun)
World number eight Svetlana Kuznetsova also gets her campaign underway on Tuesday, as she goes looking for her maiden Wimbledon title. The Russian has tasted victories in the US Open (2004) and French Open (2009) but has never progressed beyond the quarterfinals at the Wimbledon.
Kuznetsova faces a player, who is not only representing her country but also an entire community – Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. Last month, she became the first Arab woman to reach the third round of Grand Slam tournament at the French Open.
