What to Watch Monday at Wimbledon

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  • How to watch: ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN3, 6 a.m. Eastern

  • Scores: Men | Women

Djokovic, the defending men’s singles champion, will open play on Centre Court at 8 a.m. Eastern. Djokovic, the No. 1 seed, has won 10 of his 12 previous matches against Kohlschreiber, a 35-year-old German. But Kohlschreiber beat Djokovic at the Indian Wells tournament this year. If Kohlschreiber can use his varied shot selection to find Djokovic’s weaknesses early in the match, he may have a chance before Djokovic’s physical stamina can overwhelm him in the best-of-five-set format.

Osaka, recently unseated as world No. 1 by the French Open winner Ashleigh Barty, will follow Djokovic on Centre Court. She is the reigning champion of the United States and Australian Opens, tournaments on hardcourts more similar to the grass of Wimbledon than the red clay at Roland Garros, where Osaka lost in the third round. But Putintseva, ranked 39th, beat Osaka on the grass of Birmingham a few weeks ago, and has yet to lose a set against her in two matches. An early-round upset would not be too surprising if Putintseva can put the magic of Centre Court out of her mind and put pressure on Osaka’s first serve.

Gauff, 15, is the youngest player to ever qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon. Before she was born, Williams, now 39, had won four Grand Slam singles titles, including two at Wimbledon. That may be intimidating, but Gauff, whose development has been watched closely in recent years, showed a remarkably cool head in qualifying. She beat the highest-ranked player in the qualifying tournament, Aliona Bolsova, and earned her spot in the main draw without losing a set. If she can continue the form that she cultivated in qualifying, we may see a true changing of the guard in American women’s tennis in the third match of the day on No. 1 Court.

Anderson lost last year in the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic, after coming back from a two-set deficit, winning by 13-11 in the fifth set, to beat Roger Federer in the quarterfinals and surviving a six-hour 36-minute semifinal against John Isner. Anderson, the No. 4 seed, recently returned to tour after missing nearly three months with an elbow injury. His first test at the All England Club will be against Herbert in the first match of the day on No. 3 Court at 6 a.m. Eastern. Herbert, a four-time Grand Slam doubles champion who is ranked 39th in singles, has had a relatively good run-up to Wimbledon, having reached the semifinals in Halle, Germany, and the round of 16 at both of his other grass court events this season.



Source : NYtimes