Qualifying begins: 22 June
The Draw: 26 June
Pre-event Press Conferences: 27 & 28 June
Order of Play: 28 June
Championships begin: 29 June
COME BACK FOR LIVE SCORES & LIVE BLOG FROM 22 JUNE
The 32-seed system giveth, and the 32-seed system taketh away. Since the number at the Grand Slams was doubled in 2001, the game’s marquee names have enjoyed an extra round of protection at the start of each event. It hardly seems like a coincidence that, soon after, we began to witness a series of epic Grand Slam finals and experienced a “golden age” of top-player dominance.
But if 32 seeds leaves us with more drama at the end of an event, it can rob the beginning of tension. When the draws come out, it’s often difficult to locate a compelling first-round, or even second-round, match - they all feel a little preliminary. Even Rafael Nadal’s loss to 102nd-ranked Dustin Brown in the second round this year shouldn’t have been a shock; it’s the fourth year in a row that Rafa has lost to a player ranked 100 or lower.
The real, competitive event doesn’t get started until the seeds, or the players who have knocked them off, can face each other in the third round. That’s where we stand as Thursday turns to Friday at Wimbledon. With that in mind, it’s time to take stock of both draws, and recalibrate where we think they may be heading next.
WOMEN'S DRAW
The Big Picture
You could also call this The Serena and Petra Show. When the draws came out, much of the talk centred around the women at the top and bottom, Serena Williams and Petra Kvitova. Together they’ve won five of the last six titles at Wimbledon - could anyone stop them from meeting in the final?
Two rounds later, that question remains the most important of the women’s event. While Serena struggled at the start of her opening match, neither woman has dropped a set. Kvitova has been especially sharp in her two rapid-fire demolitions, and while upsets have helped open up her bracket, Serena could face her sister Venus on Monday. Advantage, for now, Kvitova.
Who's Hot?
Maria Sharapova - remember her? - has been dialed in so far, though you can’t mention her name as a serious title contender as long as Serena remains in her half.
Angelique Kerber and Timea Bacsinszky have kept up their fine recent form, and happily watched as the highest seed in their quarter, Simona Halep, was sent packing in the first round.
Sabine Lisiski and Lucie Safarova, a former finalist and semi-finalist here, respectively, each survived early scares, which means they may play with a little more freedom the rest of the way.
And how about Madison Keys and Agnieszka Radwanska? The American has slowly found her range, and has watched as the other seeds near her have fallen by the wayside - she’s now a favourite to reach the quarters.
Aga, meanwhile, is doing what she does best on grass, letting the slick surface give her flat balls and sidespins a little more bite. She’ll need all the help she can get if she meets Kvitova in the fourth round.
Third-round Matches to Watch:
Lucie Safarova vs. Sloane Stephens: Safarova leads their head to head 1-0, but Stephens, who has made progress this season, is due for a significant win
Coco Vandweghe vs. Sam Stosur: The American straight-setted the Aussie in Melbourne this year
Belinda Bencic vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands: The Swiss teen will try to fend off the hard-charging American
Kerber vs. Garbine Muguruza: A rematch from Roland Garros. The Spaniard beat the German in three sets there last month.
Lisicki vs. Bacsinszky: The 2013 Wimbledon finalist will try to cool off one of the WTA’s hottest players of the moment.
Kvitova vs. Jelena Jankovic: JJ has been No. 1, but Kvitova leads their head-to-head 4-2.
MEN'S DRAW
The Big Picture
One of the Big 4, Nadal is out, but the first four seeds, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Stan Wawrinka, have all advanced without dropping a set. None of them, from what I’ve seen, has looked any better or worse than the others, and they remain solid favorites to face off in the semi-finals.
Who Has Been Helped the Most by the Draw?
Murray. While he and Djokovic have seen the second-highest seeds in their sections, Kei Nishikori and David Ferrer, withdraw, Murray has also just watched as a man who has crushed his dreams at Wimbledon three times, Nadal, eliminated. On Thursday, Murray made it through his annual exile to No.1 Court without incident; he could spend the rest of his tournament within the safely sheltered confines of Centre Court. The highest seed left in his quarter is No. 13 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Who’s Hot?
John Isner has traditionally struggled at the Slams in part because he exhausts himself playing marathon five-setters. He’s been much more efficient this year, winning both of his matches in straights.
Nick Kyrgios has won six straight sets while complaining about headaches, blurred vision, umpire arrogance, and his own loud fans. Who knows what he’s capable of if he can avoid just one of those distractions?
Dustin Brown obviously played the match of his life on Thursday; can he come close to repeating it on Saturday? In 2013 he beat Lleyton Hewitt in his opener, then lost two days later.
Third-Round Matches to Watch
Djokovic vs. Bernard Tomic: The Australian likes grass, and he took a set from Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2011.
Wawrinka vs. Fernando Verdasco: A slugger’s special. Verdasco leads their head to head 2-1, but they’ve never played on grass.
Kyrgios vs. Milos Raonic: The Canadian ended the Aussie teen’s run here last year in the quarters. Which means Kyrgios will be better prepared this time around.
Federer vs. Sam Groth: Blue collar vs. blue blood. Groth, he of the sonic serve, will throw every m.p.h. he can muster at the Maestro.