London ( Europe Brief News): Top seed Aryna Sabalenka begins her Wimbledon title quest against Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine, while No. 2 seed Coco Gauff faces Dayana Yastremska.
In Friday’s draw, the 17th-seeded reigning champion Barbora Krejcikova faced the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala.
Elisabetta Cocciaretto, an Italian qualifier, will take on third seed Jessica Pegula in the opening round, while fourth seed Jasmine Paolini, last year’s runner-up, will take on Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.
Gauff is scheduled to face fellow American Pegula in the semifinals, while Belarusian Sabalenka may face Paolini.
British number one Emma Raducanu will play her countrywoman Mingge Xu, one of the three young British wildcards in the draw, in an exciting opening round encounter.
How could Sabalenka’s first-round match impact her Wimbledon run?
Given her recent difficulties on grass courts and a rare shoulder issue that has kept her from being fully healthy, Sabalenka would benefit much from a solid, easy victory over a qualifier like Branstine.
Due in part to the aftereffects of her defeat to Coco Gauff at the French Open, she has since displayed mental fragility when ending sets and matches. She may develop the mental toughness required for the difficulties of subsequent rounds with a confident first-round victory.
She will be able to take on more experienced opponents like Emma Raducanu or Jasmine Paolini, the finalist from the previous year, if she wins the opening round. To properly navigate this difficult draw, early momentum is essential.
