London: Defending champion Novak Djokovic and seven-time winner Roger Federer were on Friday drawn to meet in the semi-finals of this year’s Wimbledon which starts on Monday.
World number one Djokovic, who is bidding to take another step closer to the first calendar Grand Slam since 1969, has defeated Federer in the last two finals at the All England Club.
The draw means that second seed Andy Murray, the 2013 champion, was lined up for a semi-final against fourth seeded Stan Wawrinka. Three-time champion Djokovic completed the career Grand Slam with victory at the French Open earlier this month and now holds all four majors.
It was his 12th career major and made him the first man since Jim Courier in 1992 to win the Australian and French Opens in the same year. The 29-year-old Serb begins his Wimbledon campaign against British wild card James Ward and could meet big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the last-eight.
Murray takes on compatriot Liam Broady in the first round with a potential clash against Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round. Frenchman Richard Gasquet is a possible quarter-final rival.
Federer, seeded three but enduring an injury-hit season, starts against Argentina’s Guido Pella, ranked 51 in the world. The 34-year-old Swiss, the holder of a record 17 majors, could face Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals. If seedings play out, Wawrinka would come up against in-form Dominic Thiem of Austria for a place in the last-four.
Defending women’s champion Serena Williams, chasing a seventh Wimbledon title to equal Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 majors, was drawn to face Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the last-four.
French Open champion Garbine Muguruza could face Australian Open winner Angelique Kerber in the last-four. The women’s draw held out the tantalising prospect of an all-Williams final with sister Venus in the opposite half of the draw.
