Wimbledon Championships
Venue: All England Club, London Date: 21 June - 4 July
Coverage: Live on BBC One and Two, HD, Red Button, BBC Sport website (UK only), Radio 5 live, 5 live sports extra; live text commentary online and on mobile phones. Full details of BBC coverage

British number one Andy Murray will play world number 80 Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic in the first round at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

The fourth seed, who was drawn in the same half as world number one Rafael Nadal, will take on the 26-year-old Hajek for the first time.

Top seed Roger Federer begins against Colombia's Alejandro Falla, while Nadal plays Kei Nishikori of Japan.

Serena Williams opens her title defence against Michelle Larcher de Brito.

Murray should have few problems with his first-round opponent as Hajek has made just one appearance at Wimbledon, losing in the first round in 2007, and his best results have come on clay.

Hajek does have some form, however, after winning a Challenger event on clay in his home country last month.

Highlights - Murray clinches thriller

Murray's path through the draw could potentially take in Hajek, Gilles Simon, Sam Querrey, Fernando Verdasco, Nadal and Federer.

Speaking on Thursday, Murray said: "I'm happy in myself, life's good and I'm playing well in practice. I've worked really hard this week, so I've done everything I can to get ready."

And the 23-year-old, who lost to Andy Roddick in the semi-finals last year, dismissed concerns about his form despite struggling to find his best tennis since reaching the Australian Open final in January.

"It doesn't weigh on my mind, you've just got to move on," he said. "The last couple of years I've been very consistent and I've just had a bad few months.

"Unless you've played the sport it can be quite difficult to explain but in an individual sport it does happen. There can be a lot of reasons but the only way to turn it around is by working hard, getting in the gym and practising as hard as you can."

The only other British man in the men's singles draw is another Scot, Jamie Baker, who has been drawn against world number 78 Andreas Beck of Germany.

606: DEBATE Your thoughts on the draw

Former junior Wimbledon champion Laura Robson has the toughest draw of the British women as the 16-year-old must take on world number four Jelena Jankovic in round one.

Heather Watson, the 18-year-old US Open junior champion, meets Italian qualifier Romina Oprandi in her opening match, while British number one Elena Baltacha takes on Petra Martic of Croatia.

Watson, who was given a wildcard into the main draw, said: "I'm very excited and I'm very determined but most of all I want to really enjoy the experience.

"I don't know much about my opponent but I've been looking her up on the internet and I've asked a few people about her to get some tips on playing her."

Baltacha was pleased with her draw and delighted that the British women will be out in force.

The Scot said: "Wimbledon is always great for the British players and it's exciting that there are six of us in the main draw.

"This is the first time I've been in the main draw by right and I'm very proud of that, because it means I've played consistently well to achieve a high enough ranking to earn my place."

Anne Keothavong will play Australian Anastasia Rodionova, Katie O'Brien has a tough test against 28th seed Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine, and Melanie South is up against Russia's Regina Kulikova.

Highlights - Serena wins third Wimbledon title

Among the title favourites, reigning champion Federer will have to come through the same half of the draw as Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic and Lleyton Hewitt - the man who beat him on grass in Germany last week - if he is to win a seventh Wimbledon title.

Nadal was unable to defend his title last year because of injury, and among those standing in in his path to the final this time will be Murray and Robin Soderling.

Three-time champion Serena Williams has 2004 champion Maria Sharapova and French Open runner-up Samantha Stosur in her half, while second seed and five-time champion Venus Williams is in the same section as Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin.

Venus starts against Rossana de los Rios of Paraguay, Sharapova plays Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko, Clijsters will face Italian Maria Elena Camerin, and Henin meets Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version