Murray handed difficult Wimbledon draw

 

Andy Murray has been dealt a very challenging Wimbledon draw, as the Brit may have to get past Nadal, Federer and Djokovic in consecutive matches if he is to win his second title at SW19.

Djokovic is in the opposite section of the draw to Murray, but the world number 3 would need to possibly get by Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals and Roger Federer in the semis in order to book a potential final clash with the Serbian world number one.

The 2013 champion will open his account against Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, who last year gave Nadal a stern test at the All England Club before eventually succumbing in four sets, and also pushed Djokovic to three sets in Shanghai. The second round may provide another test for Murray in the form of Robin Haase, who also troubled Nadal at Wimbledon in a five set defeat. Andreas Seppi, the in-form Italian who pushed Federer in the Halle final and is enjoying an overall consistent year, may lie in wait in the third round before the dangerous Jo Wilfred Tsonga could be a potential fourth round opponent.

Should the Brit arrive at the quarterfinals, a battle with the two time Wimbledon winner Rafael Nadal or his compatriot David Ferrer may await him, followed by a potential block-buster semi-final clash with the seven times Wimbledon champion, Roger Federer. The Swiss legend is full of confidence having recently captured his eighth Halle title, and beating Murray in the final in 2012, so it is quite a daunting task for the Brit just to reach the final.

If Murray does survive to reach the final, he may find the world number 1 Novak Djokovic as the last obstacle between him and a second Wimbledon triumph. The defending champion, who recently endured a painful finals loss to Wawrinka in Paris, is nevertheless coming onto the grass looking for a fresh start with only three defeats so far in 2015, and has not lost to the Brit this year so far .

In the Serbian’s half of the draw, he will begin his defence with a tricky encounter against Philipp Kohlschreiber, who was so close to beating Federer in Halle, and the world number one could play the veteran Lleyton Hewitt, Bernard Tomic and Kei Nishikori en route to a possible semifinal with his Roland Garros conqueror, Stanislas Wawrinka.

Nadal faces Thomaz Bellucci in his opening round match, with Yen-Hsun Lu, Dustin Brown, Viktor Troicki and David Ferrer as potential opponents for the Spaniard in his side of the draw, whilst Roger Federer opens his bid for an eighth Wimbledon trophy against Damir Dzumhur, as Sam Querrey and Jack Sock lurk as early tests for the Swiss maestro.