Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Alex de Minaur has been handed a decent opportunity for another deep run at a grand slam after landing a World Cup-themed opening match at Wimbledon.
Fifth seed de Minaur, who’s now reached seven slam quarter-finals but is still striving to go at least one step better for the first time, looks to have been given a reasonably kindly route towards his aim following Friday’s draw.
On the morning he learned the Socceroos had made it into the last-32 in their World Cup quest in North America, the Aussie No.1 found he’ll launch his eighth Wimbledon main draw appearance with a match against Roman Andres Burruchaga, son of an Argentine soccer World Cup winner.
Jorge Burruchaga was a key figure in the Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina side who lifted the 1986 trophy in Mexico, scoring the winner against West Germany at the Azteca Stadium.
His 24-year-old boy, now No.66 in the world, is a debutant at Wimbledon and still not the most comfortable on the grass after losing his only match this season in Eastbourne. Iit looks a straightforward start for the world No.6.
Not that de Minaur can ever take too much for granted after another dispiriting early exit at the French Open. He’d be then likely to play Adrian Mannarino in the second round, the French veteran who’s pretty tricky on the grass but who was outplayed by the Sydneysider in ‘s-Hertogenbosch recently.
One early danger could come in the third round should de Minaur meet Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak, who defeated the Aussie in the s’-Hertogenbosch final, before the difficulty ramps up with a potential fourth-round clash against French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli.
Big-hitting American fourth seed Ben Shelton is scheduled to be his quarter-final opponent, with French Open champion Alexander Zverev a semi-final adversary.
On the other side of the draw, champion Jannik Sinner, de Minaur’s nemesis, could end up with a semi-final against seven-time winner Novak Djokovic.
Thanasi Kokkinakis, once again battling back after another debilitating shoulder injury setback at the French Open, has a tough task against mercurial 10th seed Alexander Bublik, while Alexei Popyrin tackles Czech 13th seed Jiri Lehecka.
Dane Sweeny, who made a couple of stirring comebacks to battle through qualifying, meets popular Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, handed a wildcard after his misfortune last year when he suffered a pectoral tear while leading Sinner by two sets in their fourth-round clash.
“I was hoping to play a big name to give myself a challenge and test myself as much as I could. I’m going to be expecting Grigor’s best tennis,” said Sweeny.
While all the Australian focus in the women’s draw was on Maya Joint’s blockbuster matchup with Serena Williams, Ajla Tomljanovic, who thinks she may be playing the best tennis of her career at 33, and Kim Birrell, a French Open giant-killer, both face qualifiers in the first round.
WHO THE AUSTRALIANS WILL FACE IN WIMBLEDON’S FIRST ROUND (number denotes seeding) (Q – qualifier) (WC – wildcard)
Men’s singles
5-Alex de Minaur v Roman Andres Burruchaga (ARG)
Alexei Popyrin v 13-Jiri Lehecka (CZE)
Adam Walton v Dino Prizmic (CRO)
Aleksandar Vukic v Jenson Brooksby (USA)
James Duckworth v Tallon Griekspoor (NED)
Thanasi Kokkinakis v 10-Alexander Bublik (KAZ)
Rinky Hijikata v Jesper de Jong (NED)
Dane Sweeny (Q) v (WC) Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
Women’s singles:
Maya Joint v (WC) Serena Williams (USA)
Daria Kasatkina v (WC) Mimi Xu (GBR)
Ajla Tomljanovic v (Q) Mariam Bolkvadze (GEO) (Q)
Kim Birrell v (Q) Alina Korneeva (RUS)
Talia Gibson v 21- Marie Bouzkova (CZE)
