Djokovic warms up to defend his Wimbledon title as Championships return to SW19

By Paul Lagan at The All England and Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

Wimbledon starts on Monday and runs until Sunday, July 11, (weather permitting) and it’s sure to be a testing time for players, and fans alike.

The Championships return after a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic and it will see a couple of old favourites missing, but will be bound to create a few new stars.

Former Wimbledon champion and Scotland’s finest Andy Murray is back after serious injury and will be gunning to get into the second week at least.

There are a couple of players in the men’s draw to look out for, However Surrey man Jack Draper faces champion and Number one seed Novak Djokovic in the first round.

The 19-year-old from Sutton is 6ft 3ins tall, and while ranked at 309, in the world, has a powerful left-hand serve which should cause the Serbia star a few problems, but not the match.

The Serbian is seen in the photo above, on Friday, playing a practice match on an outside court.

Fans’ favourite Rafa Nadal has decided not to compete this year.

The Spaniard felt that the shortened gap between the end of the French Open and the start of the Championships was just not long enough and that he needed to take a break from his exertions at Roland-Garros.

However Roger Federer will play, and the Number 6 seed starts off his campaign against Adrian Mannarino, from France.

Britain’s brightest hope falls on Dan Evans, who is seeded at 22. He takes on 39-year-old Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the first round.

Evans, from Birmingham, has only ever reached the third round at Wimbledon – twice before. The 31-year-old will be hoping to do a bit better this year.

On the women’s side, the The 2019 Ladies’ Singles Champion Simona Halep has withdrawn from this year’s Championships with a calf injury.

Halep retired from a second round match against Germany’s Angelique Kerber at the WTA clay court event in Rome in mid-May and hasn’t competed since. She was subsequently forced to miss Roland-Garros, the second Grand Slam of the season.

Also missing is Japan’s superstar Naomi Osaka, 23, who pulled out of the tournament last month citing depression and anxiety.

Osaka has won four grand slams and was the female player to watch out for this time round on the grass.

That now will fall to top seed Ashleigh Barty. The 25-year-old Australian managed to get to the fourth round last time out in 2019, her best in four attempts.

But there is still Serena Williams to cheer on. The 39-year-old is desperate to make up for her runners-up slot in the past two Championships.

She wants to lift the winner’s trophy for the eighth time.

To help keep the matches running smoothly, there are about 250 ball boys and girls, selected and trained from local schools.

There will be strawberries and cream to tempt the spectators, lots of people on Henman or Murray Hill – take your pick – to watch the matches on the main courts, while the very best place to keep up to date with all the action provided by Charlie Stong and Paul Lagan every day, is right here on the South London Press website.

if you have a story about Wimbledon and the tennis, then drop either of them a line. Hit them up on social media or email charlie@slpmedia.co.uk