Murray ‘likely’ to play after handed Paire test

Andy Murray revealed yesterday he is “likely” to compete at Wimbledon after the two-time champion was handed a first-round tie against France’s Benoit Paire. Murray had left his participation in the grass-court Grand Slam to the last minute as the former world number one makes tentative progress in his return from hip surgery.The 31-year-old Scot has played just three matches since making his comeback last week after 11 months on the sidelines. Murray, whose ranking has dropped to 156, had an operation on his right hip in January and only returned to action on June 18 when he was beaten by Nick Kyrgios at Queen’s Club.The three-time Grand Slam winner saw off Stan Wawrinka at Eastbourne on Monday, but after losing to fellow Briton Kyle Edmund on Wednesday he conceded his fitness was still an issue. Despite his lack of match practice, Murray has opted to give it a go at his home Grand Slam, where he will play in a best of five sets tournament for the first time since his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat against Sam Querrey 12 months ago.“I feel all right, not much different to how I felt two days ago really,” Murray said after yesterday’s draw. “I’ll chat to my team this afternoon and also see a bit how the next two days go. I’m playing sets and stuff (on Saturday), and then, yeah, but most likely yeah, I’ll play. The thing is I obviously don’t know every single day how things will be. I need to play it a little bit by ear. I can’t predict how I’m going to feel in two days. But if I feel like I do today in a couple of days, I’ll be playing.”Murray, who defeated Paire in straight sets at Wimbledon last year, could still withdraw from the tournament right up until the scheduled start of his clash with the world number 48. Wimbledon starts on Monday and Murray, who hasn’t publicly announced he is definitely fit enough to play, is due to face the media in a press conference today.  If he does take part, Murray is scheduled to face former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the third round and may have to get past Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals, Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and Roger Federer in the final.Defending champion Federer, in his 20th visit to the south London tournament, opens his bid for a ninth Wimbledon crown by facing Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic. The 36-year-old has potential encounters with Lukas Lacko, Leonardo Mayer and Borna Coric, who beat Federer in the Halle final last weekend, knocking the 20-time major winner off the top of the ATP rankings. A possible quarter-final against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson lies in wait for Federer, followed by a semi-final clash with newly crowned Queen’s Club champion Marin Cilic, who lost to the Swiss star in last year’s Wimbledon final.If Federer makes it through those six opponents, he has a potential final date with his old rival Nadal on the 10th anniversary of their epic five-set Wimbledon final won by the Spaniard. French Open champion Nadal, who hasn’t won Wimbledon since 2010, will aim to avoid adding to a long list of embarrassing early exits when the world number one takes on Israel’s Dudi Sela in the first round.Djokovic, who plays American Tennys Sandgren in the first round, could face British number one Edmund in the third round and French Open finalist Dominic Thiem in the last 16. With his ranking down to 17 after a long spell marred by injuries and poor form, three-time Wimbledon winner Djokovic has already claimed he isn’t a contender for the title.One of the most eagerly anticipated ties of the first round will see three-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka, unseeded after his ranking fell following knee surgery, meet sixth-seeded Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.Former champ Serena faces Rus in first roundSerena Williams will face Arantxa Rus in the Wimbledon first round as the seven-time champion begins her bid to win a first Grand Slam title since becoming a mother. Williams has been seeded 25th by All England Club officials despite dropping to 183 in the WTA rankings after a lengthy spell on the sidelines to have her first child.The 36-year-old gave birth to daughter Alexis Olympia in September and has played only a handful of matches this year. Williams, who hasn’t won a major title since the 2017 Australian Open before her pregnancy break, made her return to Grand Slam action at the recent French Open. She wasn’t seeded but reached the last 16 before pulling out with a shoulder injury ahead of a clash with old rival Maria Sharapova.The 23-time Grand Slam winner opens her first Wimbledon campaign since 2016 against Dutch world number 107 Rus before a second round tie against Tereza Smitkova or Viktoriya Tomova. It gets harder for Williams from there as she is due to face fifth seed Elina Svitolina in the third round.Serena, who won Wimbledon in her last two appearances in 2015 and 2016, could have to take down 10th seed Madison Keys in the last 16. Amid talk that many players are unhappy with the decision to seed Williams at Wimbledon, she could see a friendly face on the opposite side of the net in a possible quarter-final against close pal and reigning Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki.US Open champion Sloane Stephens or Serena’s sister Venus — last year’s Wimbledon runner-up — could lie in wait in the semi-finals. In the final, Williams may have to see off world number one Simona Halep or defending Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza.Spain’s Muguruza starts against Britain’s Naomi Broady, while 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova faces fellow Russian Vitalia Diatchenko. Sharapova, who hasn’t won a major since 2014, could play former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the third round. With her Grand Slam title drought finally broken at the French Open last month, Romania’s Halep will open against Japan’s Kurumi Nara. Halep could face a rematch of last year’s dramatic Wimbledon quarter-final with Britain’s Johanna Konta in the fourth round.Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is drawn to face Halep in the quarter-finals, with Muguruza or French sixth seed Caroline Garcia looming as a semi-final opponent for the Czech. Kvitova has battled back from the horrific stabbing that derailed her career in 2016 and looks in good form on grass after winning the Birmingham title on Sunday.