Preview: Djokovic, Anderson Aim For Week 2 Wimbledon Spots

Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic looks to continue his top form when he faces talented Pole Hubert Hurkacz in third-round action on Friday at Wimbledon. Fourth seed and 2018 runner-up Kevin Anderson also takes the court against No. 26 seed Guido Pella.

World No. 1 Djokovic won his lone FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Hurkacz two months ago at Roland Garros, but the Pole is thriving on grass and through to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time. The Serbian seeks his 12th appearance in Week 2 at The All England Club. He’s been at his best from the first ball this week, dropping an average of nine games in his first two rounds.

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Anderson recorded his 20th Wimbledon win with his second-round victory on Wednesday over Janko Tipsarevic. The South African has been limited to three tournaments since January due to a right elbow injury, but appears healthy and primed for another big run at The Championships. Pella is perhaps best known for his clay-court prowess, but has matched his best result at SW19. The 29-year-old Argentine clinched his first ATP Tour title this March in Sao Paulo (d. Garin).

Russian Karen Khachanov, seeded 10th, takes on No. 23 seed Roberto Bautista Agut. The Spaniard leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 3-2 and won their lone grass-court match last year at the NOVENTI OPEN, but Khachanov prevailed in their most recent battle this May in Rome. Bautista Agut opened his season with a title in Doha (d. Berdych) and maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at the Australian Open, while Khachanov cracked the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings by reaching his first major quarter-final last month at Roland Garros.

A #NextGenATP player is guaranteed to reach the second week when No. 19 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada meets Frenchman Ugo Humbert. Auger-Aliassime is excelling in his debut professional season on grass, finishing runner-up at the MercedesCup (l. to Berrettini) and reaching the semi-finals at the Fever-Tree Championships. Humbert recorded his first ATP Tour semi-final on home soil this February in Marseille. Both men are competing in the main draw at The All England Club for the first time.

Other matches headlining Friday’s schedule include No. 11 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia taking on No. 21 seed David Goffin of Belgium. Medvedev won their only FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting this year in Melbourne. Canadian Milos Raonic, the No. 15 seed and 2016 runner-up, gears up for a big-serving battle with American Reilly Opelka.

ORDER OF PLAY – FRIDAY, 5 JULY 2019

Centre Court start 13:00
[4] Kevin Anderson vs Guido Pella
Two WTA matches

No. 1 Court start 13:00
WTA match
[1] Novak Djokovic vs Hubert Hurkacz
[19] Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Ugo Humbert

No. 2 Court start 11:00
WTA match
[10] Karen Khachanov vs [23] Roberto Bautista Agut
[11] Daniil Medvedev vs [21] David Goffin

No. 3 Court start 11:00
Two WTA matches
Fernando Verdasco vs Thomas Fabbiano

Court 12 start 11:00
[15] Milos Raonic vs Reilly Opelka
WTA match

Court 18 start 11:00
[28] Benoit Paire vs Jiri Vesely
WTA match

Click here to view the schedule for all other courts.