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Top seed Hewitt to survive biggest serves to retain title
Wimbledon, June 17: The Australian opens his defence on monday against a qualifier and, barring upsets, will next meet former champion Richard Krajicek. American Andy Roddick, the fastest server in the game, could await him further down the track.
Wimbledon, June 17: The Australian opens his defence on monday against a
qualifier and, barring upsets, will next meet former champion
Richard Krajicek. American Andy Roddick, the fastest server in
the game, could await him further down the track.
"A lot of grand slam draws can look tough at the start",
Hewitt said on tuesday.
"But it depends how it pans out. You've got to just see
how it all opens up".
Serena Williams, the world number one and defending
champion, and her sister Venus were kept out of the same half
of the women's draw and could meet in a repeat of last year's
final.
World number one Andre Agassi, the second men's seed,
plays British wild card Jamie Delgado in the first round and
has Russian powerhouse Marat Safin in his quarter of the draw.
Tenth-seeded Tim Henman - the home nation's great hope - faces Spanish claycourt specialist Alex Corretja in the first round and is in the same quarter as Argentina's David Nalbandian, last year's runner-up, and Dutchman Martin Verkerk, beaten finalist at the 2003 French Open. Roland Garros champion and Wimbledon third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero is also in Henman's section of the draw.
Hewitt could hardly have been handed a tougher draw at the grasscourt grand slam. Provided he finds a way past 1996 champion Krajicek of the Netherlands, he could well meet American Taylor Dent - possessor of the world's second-fastest serve - in the third round. Fifth seed Roddick, who shares a 149 mph (239.8 kph) top serve with Briton Greg Rusedski, was also drawn in Hewitt's quarter and the pair could meet in the last eight. "You get some good draws and some tougher ones", Hewitt told reporters.
"But you know, I feel that I can step on court on any given day, on any given surface, and if I play my 'A' game I am good enough to beat anybody. "I've got a qualifier first, that is always tough. They've got a few matches behind them. Then obviously Krajicek. But I've got to take it one match at a time".
Agassi's draw seems tame by comparison. The 1992 Wimbledon champion, winner of eight grand slam titles, should have few problems getting past the 456th-ranked Delgado. Younes El Aynaoui is the first seed he is due to meet in the third round and the Moroccan, a first-round loser last year, poses little threat on grass. Former world number one Safin, the 18th seed, or 14th seed
Xavier Malisse, a semi-finalist last year, are seeded to meet Agassi in the fourth round, but both players are notoriously erratic. Australia's Mark Philippoussis is also a dangerous presence in that section of the draw.
Serena Williams faces fellow American Jill Craybas in the opening round while second seed Kim Clijsters of Belgium opens against Paraguay's Rossana Neffa-De Los Rios. French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, who beat Serena to reach the Paris final, opens against Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko while twice champion Venus Williams - seeded fourth - meets a qualifier. The Wimbledon championships run from June 23 to July 6.
Bureau Report
Tenth-seeded Tim Henman - the home nation's great hope - faces Spanish claycourt specialist Alex Corretja in the first round and is in the same quarter as Argentina's David Nalbandian, last year's runner-up, and Dutchman Martin Verkerk, beaten finalist at the 2003 French Open. Roland Garros champion and Wimbledon third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero is also in Henman's section of the draw.
Hewitt could hardly have been handed a tougher draw at the grasscourt grand slam. Provided he finds a way past 1996 champion Krajicek of the Netherlands, he could well meet American Taylor Dent - possessor of the world's second-fastest serve - in the third round. Fifth seed Roddick, who shares a 149 mph (239.8 kph) top serve with Briton Greg Rusedski, was also drawn in Hewitt's quarter and the pair could meet in the last eight. "You get some good draws and some tougher ones", Hewitt told reporters.
"But you know, I feel that I can step on court on any given day, on any given surface, and if I play my 'A' game I am good enough to beat anybody. "I've got a qualifier first, that is always tough. They've got a few matches behind them. Then obviously Krajicek. But I've got to take it one match at a time".
Agassi's draw seems tame by comparison. The 1992 Wimbledon champion, winner of eight grand slam titles, should have few problems getting past the 456th-ranked Delgado. Younes El Aynaoui is the first seed he is due to meet in the third round and the Moroccan, a first-round loser last year, poses little threat on grass. Former world number one Safin, the 18th seed, or 14th seed
Xavier Malisse, a semi-finalist last year, are seeded to meet Agassi in the fourth round, but both players are notoriously erratic. Australia's Mark Philippoussis is also a dangerous presence in that section of the draw.
Serena Williams faces fellow American Jill Craybas in the opening round while second seed Kim Clijsters of Belgium opens against Paraguay's Rossana Neffa-De Los Rios. French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, who beat Serena to reach the Paris final, opens against Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko while twice champion Venus Williams - seeded fourth - meets a qualifier. The Wimbledon championships run from June 23 to July 6.
Bureau Report