Djokovic, Federer could meet in Wimbledon final; Simona Halep out
By Associated Press
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were placed on opposite sides of the Wimbledon bracket in Friday’s draw, meaning they only could meet in the final — which would be a rematch of their epic 2019 title showdown.
The top-seeded Djokovic will have a lot at stake when play begins at the All England Club on Monday, a year after the grass-court tournament was canceled because of the pandemic.
He seeks a 20th major title, which would tie the men’s record shared by Federer and Rafael Nadal; he can move closer to a calendar-year Grand Slam after winning the Australian Open in February and the French Open this month; he will be trying to win his third consecutive trophy, and sixth overall, at Wimbledon. Two years ago, Djokovic edged Federer in a fifth-set tiebreaker after saving two championship points in the final.
The 2019 women’s champion, Simona Halep, pulled out of Wimbledon just before the draw, citing an injured left calf that also forced her to sit out Roland Garros. That means two of the top three players in the WTA rankings are missing from the field; No. 2 Naomi Osaka withdrew last week.
Two of the top five men are out, too: No. 3 Nadal and No. 5 Dominic Thiem.
