Francisco Cerúndolo and his ambiguous debut at Wimbledon: in midfield against Rafael Nadal. Photo: EFE / EPA / MOHAMMED BADRA.
Ten Argentines failed to make it through the always difficult qualification at Wimbledon, but seven others (all men) met their disparate luck this Friday in the draw for the main draw: the third Grand Slam of the season will offer a dream debut for Francisco Cerúndolo. , since beyond the difficulties, he will face the Spanish Rafael Nadal right in the cathedral of British tennis.
More epic? It will be the first time that Cerúndolo, 23, has stepped on the grass of the English Grand Slam, against an opponent who has amassed 65 games on that site and was two-time champion (2008 and 2010). The match would, in principle, be next Tuesday on the center court of the All England Tennis Club in London.
In fact, until last June 14 (yes, ten days ago), Francisco Cerúndolo had not played any ATP match on grass: it was a victory against Pedro Martínez for 6-3 and 6-2 in the first round of Queen’s (then it was REMOVED ).
In the hypothetical path of Nadal, 36 years old and recently crowned with a 14th Roland Garros title despite the foot injury, the dangerous Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime appears in the second round, against whom he won a long and complicated match in five set on the brick dust of Paris, and the Italian Matteo Berrettini (8), finalist 2021.
The rest of the members of the Argentine Legion have the porteño as their maximum representative Diego Schwartzmann12th seeded and 15th in the standings, who will debut against the Croatian Borna Coric (203). Buenos Aires Sebastian Baez (35 °) will compete with the Japanese Taro Daniele (123); Federico Coria (71 °) to Czech Jiri Vesely (66); Tomas Martin Etcheverry (77 °) in French ugo umberto (103); Frederic Delbonis (84 °) Dutch Tim Van Rijthoven (105 and who gave the shot to the absent Daniil Medvedev in the final of Hertogenbosch); Y Facundo Bagni (106 °) to the Austrian Dennis Novack (155).
Serbian Novak Djokovic, 35, and reigning champion, will make his debut in the English tournament that kicks off Monday against South Korean Kwon Soon-woo (75). If they all advance smoothly, they will face Spanish rising star Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals and Nadal in the final.
Serena Williams trains at Wimbledon. Photo: EFE / EPA / NEIL HALL.
Serena goes for Swiatek.
In the women’s draw, the American Serena Williamsback on the WTA circuit after a season of absence, he will make his debut against the French Harmony Tan at 40, with the illusion of reaching her 24th Grand Slam title – seven of which at Wimbledon -, which would allow her to equal the absolute record, among female tennis players of both sexes, held by the Australian Margherita Corte.
Serena, currently ranked at 1,204th place in the world rankings, received an invitation from the organizers to play on the field of the All England Club in London.
Williams, whose last Grand Slam title was at the Australian Open in 2017, had to leave Wimbledon in 2021 due to an injury that kept her off the pitch.
Tan, 24th and 113th, should be an easy match for Williams, who competed in doubles alongside Ons Jabeur at the Eatsbourne tournament this week, where they went through two rounds before having to retire on Thursday with a knee injury.
For its part, Iga Swiatek21 years old, world number one and brand new winner of Roland Garros, she will face the Croatian Jana Fett, out of the qualifying phase, in the first round.
The Pole has as a potential rival in the semifinals the Spanish Paula Badosa, 24-year-old fourth-seeded.
Current women’s champion, Australian Ashleigh Barty, is not competing after retiring last March by personal decision.
Source: Clarin
