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Andy Murray to face Ryan Peniston in Wimbledon first round

Andy Murray to face Ryan Peniston in Wimbledon first round
© Reuters
Andy Murray is drawn against compatriot Ryan Peniston in the first round of Wimbledon, while Venus Williams will face Elina Svitolina.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray faces a tantalising all-British affair with Ryan Peniston in the first round of this year's Grand Slam at SW19.

The 2013 and 2016 winner skipped the French Open in order to prioritise the grass-court season and triumphed in back-to-back Challenger events at Surbiton and Nottingham.

However, the 36-year-old's hopes of earning a seeding for Wimbledon were dashed in a first-round Queen's loss to Alex de Minaur, but he has avoided a potentially tricky tie versus a seeded player and will instead meet British number seven Peniston.

Peniston - who reached the second round of Wimbledon in 2022 - received a wildcard into the major event and memorably stunned Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the first round of the Queen's Championships earlier this month.

The victor of that tie faces a challenging second-round battle with either Dominic Thiem or Greek fifth-seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, while the top-ranked British player Cameron Norrie begins his quest for glory against Czech qualifier Tomas Machac.

Ryan Peniston in action at the Queen's Club Championships on June 19, 2023© Reuters

Dan Evans - who is seeded 27th - faces Frenchman Quentin Halys, while wildcard George Loffhagen will pit his wits against Danish sixth seed Holger Rune.

An even more daunting tie awaits Arthur Fery, who will take on third seed Daniil Medvedev, while Liam Broady and Jan Choinski meet Constant Lestienne and Dusan Lajovic respectively.

Elsewhere in the men's singles section, 2022 champion Novak Djokovic begins the defence of his title against Pedro Cachin of Argentina, while top seed Carlos Alcaraz meets Jeremy Chardy of France.

Last year's finalist Nick Kyrgios - who has only played one match since the Australian Open - is in the draw despite previous doubts over his participation, and he has been paired with David Goffin, who lost a five-set quarter-final to Norrie last year.

In the women's section, holder Elena Rybakina will lock horns with American Shelby Rogers, as Iga Swiatek kicks off her bid for a first senior Wimbledon crown against Zhu Lin.

Elena Rybakina reacts at Wimbledon on July 7, 2022© Reuters

No fewer than six British wildcards will compete in the women's singles first round, including Nottingham Open winner Katie Boulter, who faces Australia's Daria Saville.

Meanwhile, Harriet Dart tackles former junior world number one Diane Parry, while Jodie Burrage is in action against the USA's Caty McNally.

Katie Swan has been handed a difficult opener against Swiss 14th seed Belinda Bencic, while Heather Watson and Sonay Kartal have also been drawn against seeded players in Barbora Krejcikova and Madison Keys respectively.

Victory for Watson could see her set up a second-round tie with 16-year-old Russian sensation Mirra Andreeva, who came through qualifying and has been rewarded with a clash against Wang Xiyu.

However, arguably the most highly-anticipated first-round women's match will be Venus Williams's showdown against fellow wildcard Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.

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Venus Williams in action at the Washington Open on August 1, 2022
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