Wimbledon 2019 draw: Five matches to look out for from the opening round of the Championships

The Wimbledon draw has served up some cracking first-round encounters to get stuck into as the famous Championships return for its 133rd edition.

Here, we take a look at some of the best matches from the opening two days of the competition:

Dominic Thiem (Aut) (5) v Sam Querrey (USA)

This year’s French Open runner-up gets his Wimbledon campaign under way against the big-hitting American. Known for his powerful serve, Sam Querrey holds the record for the most consecutive service aces in a match (10). He’ll no doubt look to put this aspect of his game to good use against the Austrian, who has yet to proceed beyond the fourth round of the Championships but shown impressive form this year.

Kyle Edmund (Gbr) (30) v Jaume Munar (Spa)

One for the home crowd to keep an eye on. British No 1 Kyle Edmund will be looking to hit the ground running at SW19 when he takes on Spain’s Jaume Munar. The pair have never met before but Edmund will fancy his chances having enjoyed a promising grass-court season so far. The Briton recently saw off Dan Evans at Eastbourne and is now one win away from the final. He made it to the round of 32 at Wimbledon last year where he was beaten in four sets by Djokovic.

Venus Williams (USA) v Cori Gauff (USA)

After emerging triumphant from Wimbledon qualifying, 15-year-old Cori Gauff said it would be her “dream” to play one of the Williams sisters at the All England Club. Now, her dream has been made into reality. Gauff will go up against Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam winner who has claimed victory at Wimbledon on five separate occasions. Gauff looked like a seasoned grasscourt player throughout the Wimbledon qualifying and will throw everything she’s got at Williams in a bid to pull off what would be one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history.

Joao Sousa (Por) v Paul Jubb (Gbr)

Another youngster to look out for, Paul Jubb made the headlines after triumphing in the NCAA Championship in the USA, an honour previously won by Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe. The 19-year-old was handed a wildcard as a result of his achievement and now faces Portugal’s Joao Sousa in the opening round of Wimbledon. Andy Murray described the Portuguese as a tough opponent who never backs down from a fight, while Djokovic called him a “tough” and mentally strong player who “takes the best out of the opponent.” Jubb will need to be on his best form to stand any chance of edging past the world No 71.

Ana Bogdan (Rom) v Johanna Konta (Gbr) (19)

British No 1 Johanna Konta displayed some of her best tennis to date at the French Open, where she reached the semi-finals before losing to Markéta Vondroušová. Her form has since taken a hit, having lost to Jelena Ostapenko at the Birmingham Classic before going down in straight sets to Ons Jabeur at Eastbourne. With just four grass-court matches under her belt this season, it’s hard to say how Konta will fare at SW19. She takes on world No 129 Ana Bogdan in the first round. The pair have met just once before, at Marrakech, with the Briton claiming victory across three sets. Not the easiest of starts but an opportunity for Konta to rediscover her confidence and build up some momentum.