Wimbledon: Sinner, Djokovic drawn on same side of bracket

London, June 27 (IANS) The draw for the 2025 Wimbledon Championship took place on Friday, and Jannik Sinner’s pursuit of a maiden crown could hinge on a heavyweight semifinal clash with seven-time champion Novak Djokovic after the duo were drawn on the same side of the bracket.

The No. 1 player in the ATP rankings, Sinner, opens against countryman Luca Nardi at the grass-court major, following the draw on Friday morning. Djokovic, competing at his lowest seeding (sixth) since 2018, will begin his campaign for a record-tying eighth Wimbledon title against Frenchman Alexandre Muller.

Djokovic is seeded for a quarterfinal meeting with British No. 1 Jack Draper, who starts against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez. Djokovic and Sinner had faced off in the semifinals of the French Open in May, with the latter prevailing. Sinner went on to lose to Carlos Alcaraz in the final at the Roland Garros, losing in a five-set marathon after winning the first two.

In the bottom half of the draw, two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz starts against 38-year-old Fabio Fognini. The 22-year-old Spaniard is riding an 18-match winning streak — the longest of his career — and could meet eighth seed Holger Rune in the quarter-finals.

World No. 3 and three-time major finalist Alexander Zverev, who opens against Arthur Rinderknech, is seeded to meet Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals. The fifth-seeded American faces big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his opener and leads Zverev 8-5 head-to-head.

World No. 3 and three-time major finalist Alexander Zverev, who opens against Arthur Rinderknech, is seeded to meet Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals. The fifth-seeded American faces big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his opener and leads Zverev 8-5 head-to-head.

Rising star Joao Fonseca has been handed a popcorn opening match in his Wimbledon debut against British No. 2 Jacob Fearnley.

The 19-year-old Czech, Jakub Mensik, is seeded to meet home favourite Draper in the fourth round, having defeated the Briton en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami.

--IANS

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