Wimbledon 2015: Updated Bracket, Draw Schedule and More
Even in Wimbledon 2015, Sunday is a day of rest. The world's top players and a few surprising upstarts have a day to recuperate and recover before fourth-round play in the men's and women's singles draw.ย
Saturday was a fine day for tennis fans both hardcore and casual alike, highlighted by two Frenchmen, โNo. 13 Gilles Simon and No. 18 Gael Monfilsโplaying a match of tennis with a lovely spirit of competition, in the best sense of the phrase.
Simon defeated Monfils 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-2 in three hours and 10 minutes of actual playing time, but the score hardly does the match justice. Both players exuded an irrepressibleย joie de vivre, delighting the crowd with tricky shots, hustle and grit. Monfils' athleticism was on full display as he hit perhapsย the shotย of the tournament. Wimbledon provided a still of him flying around the court Saturday:
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Other notable matches saw No. 28 Jelena Jankovic oust defending champion Petra Kvitova in three sets, and No. 10 Angelique Kerber likely experiencing a sinking feeling of deja vu as No. 20 Garbine Muguruza knocked her out of her second straight Grand Slam (they met in the third round at the French Open this year).ย
The bracket and draw are set to pick back up Monday. Here's a look at the men's and women's singles bracket, per Wimbledon:
Here's a rundown of Monday's order of play.
| Draw | Matchups | Prediction |
| Ladies' Singles | No. 1 Serena Williams vs. No. 16 Venus Williams | Serena Williams in three |
| Gentlemen's Singles | No. 3 Ivo Karlovic vs. No. 3 Andy Murray | Murray in four |
| Gentlemen's Singles | No. 2 Roger Federer vs. No. 20 Roberto Bautista Agut | Federer in three |
| Draw | Matchups | Prediction |
| Ladies' Singles | No. 4 Maria Sharapova vs. Zarina Diyas | Sharapova in two |
| Gentlemen's Singles | No. 4 Stan Wawrinka vs. No. 16 David Goffin | Wawrinka in four |
| Gentlemen's Singles | No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 14 Kevin Anderson | Djokovic in three |
| Draw | Matchups | Prediction |
| Gentlemen's Singles | No. 21 Richard Gasquet vs. No. 26 Nick Kyrgios | Kyrgios in five |
| Ladies' Singles | No. 5 Caroline Wozniacki vs. No. 20 Garbine Muguruza | Wozniacki in three |
| Gentlemen's Singles | No. 6 Tomas Berdych vs. No. 12 Gilles Simon | Simon in five |
| Draw | Matchups | Prediction |
| Ladies' Singles | No. 6 Lucie Safarova vs. Coco Vandeweghe | Safarova in two |
| Ladies' Singles | No. 13 Agnieszka Radwanska vs. No. 28 Jelena Jankovic | Jankovic in three |
| Gentlemen's Singles | No. 8 Marin Cilic vs. Denis Kudla | Cilic in four |
| Draw | Matchups | Prediction |
| Gentlemen's Singles | No. 22 Viktor Troicki vs. Vasek Pospisil | Troicki in four |
| Ladies' Singles | No. 23 Victoria Azarenka vs. No. 30 Belinda Bencic | Azarenka in three |
| Draw | Matchups | Prediction |
| Ladies' Singles | No. 21 Madison Keys vs. Olga Govortsova | Keys in two |
| Ladies' Singles | No. 15 Timea Bacsinszky vs. Monica Niculescu | Bacsinszky in three |
The full bracket and order of play can be found at Wimbledon.com.
Monday Match to Watch
No. 1ย Serena Williamsย vs. No. 16ย Venus Williams
You've seen this matchup plenty of times before, so it's hardly a novelty when the Williams sisters meet in a Grand Slam (or any tournament for that matter). And yet, it's such a rare thing for two siblings to be so excellent in the same sport at the same timeโhow could you not watch it?
Serena Williams is looking to win her fourth Grand Slam in a row here at Wimbledon. If she pulls off the stunning feat, it would be for the second time in her career. Serena won four consecutive Slams in 2002-03. It's a testament to the longevity of both Williams sistersโVenus is the elderโthat they are still meeting this late in Grand Slams, and both have a shot at winning the whole tournament.
Venus hasn't won a Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2008, but this is her best tournament, having won it five times. ย Venus may look the part of a champion in many matches, butย The Guardian's Sean Ingleย notes that she faces a tough battle against her own body outside of the spotlight:
"Visually Venus appears to have barely aged in the past decade. But under the bonnet there have been wrist and back injuries and, since 2011, the autoimmune disease Sjogrenโs Syndrome, which saps the bodyโs energy and causes crippling joint pain. She is 35 now. Time catches up with even those who appear timeless.
"
Despite her obstacles, Venus is yet to drop a set at the All England Club this year.ย The same can't be said for her younger sister, who almost didn't make it out of the third round.
Playing in front of a supportive crowd, British starlet Heather Watson found herself just two points from victory in the third set against Serena but couldn't complete the upset. Williams roared back to life for a comeback victory and a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 final scoreline. Williams was uncharacteristically sloppy, hitting 33 unforced errors, per Wimbledon.com.
The shaky display from Serena could mean a surprise showing for Venus, who is 11-14 all time against Serena, 5-7 in Grand Slams. A losing record, yes, but far better than many of the world's top players against Serena. Venus' coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, is still quite wary of the brilliant Serena despite her rough third-round match, according to the Guardian's Simon Cambers:
"But I think sheโs much better than in Paris. I think sheโs played better tennis, she started matches well, except the first round. Sheโs there, I know. She lost her calmness [against Watson] but the match was really, really difficult for her, with the atmosphere and with Heather playing so well. In a way Heather took her out of her calmness and her game so she has all the credit. But she won, as she does, not always, but most of the time.
"
Serena has beaten Venus more often than not in recent years, but the latter had the latest laugh, having won their semifinal meeting at the 2014 Rogers Cup, 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3. Venus ended up losing to Agnieszka Radwanska in the final.
With the women's draw decimated by so many early upsetsโonly four of the top 10 women's seeds remain, including No. 1 Serenaโthe winner of this matchup would appear to have an excellent shot at taking home another Grand Slam trophy. They both sport excellent Wimbledon records, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Venus' age might prove prohibitive even if she gets past Serena, but she's a predator on grass even at this stage in her career. Serena, of course, is one of the most dominant athletes in the world and should be an easy pick rest of the way, health and form permitting.
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