Sport

Federer’s final ambition runs through Nadal and Murray

Number one seed Novak Djokovic avoids big three rivals in draw

Roger Federer will begin the defence of his Wimbledon title against Romanian’s Victor Hanescu. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA
Roger Federer will begin the defence of his Wimbledon title against Romanian’s Victor Hanescu. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA
Fri Jun 21 2013 - 10:48

Roger Federer faces a tough road to another Wimbledon final after Friday's draw threw Rafa Nadal and home favourite Andy Murray into the champion's path and cleared the way for world number one Novak Djokovic.

The third seed could face Spaniard Nadal, seeded only fifth to reflect his current ranking as he works his way back from injury, in what would likely be an epic quarter-final on the grass of southwest London.

Federer and Nadal, the big danger in the draw, played three finals in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

If the Swiss seven-times winner gets through the quarter-final, he faces a potential clash with last year’s finalist Murray in the semi-finals.

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World number one Novak Djokovic would be on course to face seventh seed Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals but will avoid any of his three main rivals until the final.

Djokovic plays Florian Mayer in his opening match and also has fourth seed David Ferrer in his half of the draw.

Nadal, the eight-times French Open winner who suffered a shock second-round defeat in London last year, starts out against Belgian Steve Darcis while Federer's first opponent is Romanian Victor Hanescu.

Second seed Murray's opener is against world number 95 Benjamin Becker, the 31-year-old German he beat in the quarter-finals on his way to victory in the Aegon Championships at Queen's Club last week.

If all goes to plan, Murray will face old foe Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last eight - having beaten the Frenchman in last year’s semi-finals and at Queen’s this month.

“You don‘t look past the first match,” the Scot had said ahead of the draw. “There are a lot of dangerous players out there early in the tournament.”

Murray, Federer and Nadal are all scheduled to play on the opening day on Monday.

In the women’s draw, top seed and defending champion Serena Williams will begin her quest for a 17th Grand Slam title against Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella.

Men's draw (seedings in brackets): (1) Novak Djokovic (Ser) v Florian Mayer (Ger); Bobby Reynolds (USA) v Steve Johnson (USA); Blaz Kavcic (Slo) v Jan-Lennard Struff (Ger); Ryan Harrison (USA) v (28) Jeremy Chardy (Fra); (19) Gilles Simon (Fra) v Feliciano Lopez (Spa); Ricardas Berankis (Lit) v Paul-Henri Mathieu (Fra); Wayne Odesnik (USA) v Jimmy Wang (Tpe); Dmitry Tursunov (Rus) v (13) Tommy Haas (Ger); (9) Richard Gasquet (Fra) v Marcel Granollers (Spa); Andreas Haider-Maurer (Aut) v Go Soeda (Jpn); James Blake (USA) v Thiemo De Bakker (Ned); Bernard Tomic (Aus) v (21) Sam Querrey (USA); (27) Kevin Anderson (Rsa) v Olivier Rochus (Bel); Philipp Petzschner (Ger) v Michal Przysiezny (Pol); Daniel Brands (Ger) v Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spa); Martin Klizan (Svk) v (7) Tomas Berdych (Cze); (4) David Ferrer (Esp) v Martin Alund (Arg); Roberto Bautista-Agut (Esp) v Teymuraz Gabashvili (Rus); Horacio Zeballos (Arg) v Santiago Giraldo (Col); Gastao Elias (Por) v (26) Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukr); (17) Milos Raonic (Can) v Carlos Berlocq (Arg); Alex Kuznetsov (USA) v Igor Sijsling (Ned); James Duckworth (Aus) v Denis Kudla (USA); Ivan Dodig (Cro) v (16) Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger); (12) Kei Nishikori (Jpn) v Matthew Ebden (Aus); Leonardo Mayer (Arg) v Aljaz Bedene (Slo); Michael Llodra (Fra) v Jarkko Nieminen (Fin); Denis Istomin (Uzb) v (23) Andreas Seppi (Ita); (29) Grigor Dimitrov (Bul) v Simone Bolelli (Ita); Grega Zemlja (Slo) v Michael Russell (USA); Guido Pella (Arg) v Jesse Levine (Can); Albert Ramos (Esp) v (8) Juan Martin Del Potro (Arg); (5) Rafael Nadal (Esp) v Steve Darcis (Bel); Lukasz Kubot (Pol) v Igor Andreev (Rus); Stephane Robert (Fra) v Alejandro Falla (Col); Adrian Ungur (Rom) v Benoit Paire (Fra) (25); (18) John Isner (USA) v Evgeny Donskoy (Rus); Pablo Andujar (Esp) v Adrian Mannarino (Fra); Dustin Brown (Ger) v Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spa); Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) v (11) Stanislas Wawrinka (Swi); (15) Nicolas Almagro (Esp) v Jurgen Zopp (Est); Marinko Matosevic (Aus) v Guillaume Rufin (Fra); Radek Stepanek (Cze) v Matt Reid (Aus); Kyle Edmund (Brit) v (24) Jerzy Janowicz (Pol); (30) Fabio Fognini (Ita) v Jurgen Melzer (Aut); Julian Reister (Ger) v Lukas Rosol (Cze); Rogerio Dutra Silva (Bra) v Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukr); Victor Hanescu (Rom) v Roger Federer (Swi) (3); (6) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) v David Goffin (Bel); Edouard Roger-Vasselin (Fra) v Ernests Gulbis (Lat); Fernando Verdasco (Esp) v Xavier Malisse (Bel); Tobias Kamke (Ger) v Julien Benneteau (Fra) (31); (22) Juan Monaco (Arg) v Bastian Knittel (Ger); Lukas Lacko (Svk) v Rajeev Ram (USA); Kenny De Schepper (Fra) v Paolo Lorenzi (Ita); Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp) v (10) Marin Cilic (Cro); (14) Janko Tipsarevic (Ser) v Viktor Troicki (Ser); Andrey Kuznetsov (Rus) v Albert Montanes (Spa); Marc Gicquel (Fra) v Vasek Pospisil (Can); Robin Haase (Ned) v (20) Mikhail Youzhny (Rus); (32) Tommy Robredo (Esp) v Alex Bogomolov Jr. (Rus); Nicolas Mahut (Fra) v Jan Hajek (Cze); James Ward (Brit) v Yen-Hsun Lu (Tpe); Benjamin Becker (Ger) v (2) Andy Murray (Brit).

Women's draw (seedings in brackets): (1) Serena Williams (USA) v Mandy Minella (Lux); Caroline Garcia (Fra) v Jie Zheng (Chn); Kimiko Date Krumm (Jpn) v Carina Witthoeft (Ger); Alexandra Cadantu (Rom) v (28) Tamira Paszek (Aut); (23) Sabine Lisicki (Ger) v Francesca Schiavone (Ita); Elena Vesnina (Rus) v Andrea Hlavackova (Cze); Olga Puchkova (Rus) v Arantxa Rus (Ned); Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Svk) v (14) Samantha Stosur (Aus); (10) Maria Kirilenko (Rus) v Laura Robson (Brit); Mariana Duque Marino (Col) v Julia Goerges (Ger); Ayumi Morita (Jpn) v Marina Erakovic (Nzl); Anabel Medina Garrigues (Esp) v (24) Shuai Peng (Chn); (31) Romina Oprandi (Swi) v Alison Riske (USA); Mallory Burdette (USA) v Urszula Radwanska (Pol); Kaia Kanepi (Est) v Tara Moore (Gbr); Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) v (7) Angelique Kerber (Ger); (4) Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) v Yvonne Meusburger (Aut); Timea Babos (Hun) v Mathilde Johansson (Fra); Heather Watson (Brit) v Madison Keys (USA); Monica Niculescu (Rom) v (30) Mona Barthel (Ger); (21) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus) v Tsvetana Pironkova (Bul); Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Cze) v Magdalena Rybarikova (Svk); Anna Tatishvili (Geo) v Petra Martic (Cro); Karolina Pliskova (Cze) v (13) Nadia Petrova (Rus); Roberta Vinci (Ita) (11) v Chanelle Scheepers (Rsa); Kristyna Pliskova (Cze) v Jana Cepelova (Svk); Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (Esp) v Irina-Camelia Begu (Rom); Maria Elena Camerin (Ita) v (18) Dominika Cibulkova (Svk); Klara Zakopalova (Cze) (32) v Daniela Hantuchova (Svk); Nina Bratchikova (Por) v Annika Beck (Ger); Olga Govortsova (Blr) v Simona Halep (Rom); Michaella Krajicek (Ned) v (6) Na Li (Chn); (5) Sara Errani (Ita) v Monica Puig (Pue); Silvia Soler Espinosa (Esp) v Misaki Doi (Jpn); Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino (Esp) v Lesia Tsurenko (Ukr); Eva Birnerova (Cze) v (26) Varvara Lepchenko (USA); (17) Sloane Stephens (USA) v Jamie Hampton (USA); Pauline Parmentier (Fra) v Andrea Petkovic (Ger); Petra Cetkovska (Cze) v Donna Vekic (Cro); Estrella Cabeza Candela (Esp) v (9) Caroline Wozniacki (Den); (15) Marion Bartoli (Fra) v Elina Svitolina (Ukr); Christina McHale (USA) v Alexa Glatch (USA); Camila Giorgi (Ita) v Samantha Murray (Gbr); Stefanie Voegele (Swi) v (22) Sorana Cirstea (Rom); (27) Lucie Safarova (Cze) v Lauren Davis (USA); Lauren Davis (USA) v Lucie Hradecka (Cze); Michelle Larcher De Brito (Por) v Melanie Oudin (USA); Kristina Mladenovic (Fra) v (3) Maria Sharapova (Rus); (8) Petra Kvitova (Cze) v Coco Vandeweghe (USA); Kiki Bertens (Ned) v Yaroslava Shvedova (Kaz); Garbine Muguruza (Esp) v Anne Keothavong (Brit); Johanna Larsson (Swe) v (25) Ekaterina Makarova (Rus); (19) Carla Suarez-Navarro (Esp) v Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spa); Sofia Arvidsson (Swe) v Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Cro); Eugenie Bouchard (Can) v Galina Voskoboeva (Kaz); Virginie Razzano (Fra) v (12) Ana Ivanovic (Ser); (16) Jelena Jankovic (Ser) v Johanna Konta (Brit); Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) v Vesna Dolonc (Ser); Ajla Tomljanovic (Cro) v Bojana Jovanovski (Ser); Yulia Putintseva (Kaz) v (20) Kirsten Flipkens (Bel); (29) Alize Cornet (Fra) v Vania King (USA); Su-Wei Hsieh (Tpe) v Tatjana Maria (Ger); Elena Baltacha (Brit) v Flavia Pennetta (Ita); Maria Joao Koehler (Por) v (2) Victoria Azarenka (Blr).