Wimbledon: Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray are ready for Central Court on day one
Written byTimes Magazine
Britain's number one Emma Raducanu and two-time champion Andy Murray have been appointed to Central Court when Wimbledon kicks off on Monday.
Raducanu made his debut on the main pitch against Belgian Alison van Uitvank at around 16:00 BST.
The 19-year-old said he was "ready for action" in SW19 after a week of uncertainty caused by side tensions.
Asked if this caused concern about his inability to play, he said: "There are times in the week when we are not so sure.
Murray also faces a race to get fit but says the past few days have been "very positive" after being hampered by the stomach injury that forced him to leave Queen's.
"I feel like I'm in a good place," said the 35-year-old Scot, who played on the 15,000-seat pitch after Raducanu's game against Australia's James Duckworth.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia, defending the men's title, usually opens the tournament on Central Court at 13:30.
Britain's number one Cameron Nori, who is ninth, starts at 11:00 on the second court against Spaniard Pablo Andujar.
Heather Watson and Ryan Penniston played back-to-back third place, with Lily Miyazaki, Jody Burridge, Jay Clark, and Katie Swann competing for the second round.
Tunisia's Ons Jabeur opened Court 1 at 13:00 when they faced Swedish qualifier Miriam Bjorklund, followed by openers for Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz and 2018 champion Angelique Kerber. Raducanu withdrew from Eastbourne International last week due to tensions created by his lack of preparation ahead of Wimbledon.
He played just seven games against Victoria Golubic at the Nottingham Open before retiring, his only appearance on the pitch that summer.
Raducanu trained at Wimbledon on Saturday and appeared to serve usually and with a wide range of shots.
Trending News
