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Top seed Sabalenka draws qualifier Branstine in Wimbledon first round

Top seed Sabalenka draws qualifier Branstine in Wimbledon first round

Straits Timesa day ago

Tennis - Berlin Tennis Open - Steffi Graf Stadium, Berlin, Germany - June 21, 2025 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her semi final match against Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
LONDON - World number one Aryna Sabalenka's quest for her first Wimbledon title will begin against Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine while second seed Coco Gauff's opener will be versus Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska.
Friday's draw also pitched defending champion Barbora Krejcikova, the 17th seed, against Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.
Third seed Jessica Pegula's first-round opponent is Italian qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto, while fourth seed Jasmine Paolini, runner-up last year, faces Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.
Belarusian Sabalenka could meet Paolini in the semi-finals while Gauff is in line for a clash with fellow American Pegula.
British number one Emma Raducanu faces an intriguing opening round match against compatriot Mingge Xu, one of three British teenaged wildcards in the draw. REUTERS
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