In true Wimbledon tradition the second Monday of the championships will feature every fourth round match in what will be a chaotic and hectic day.
25 out of the 32 remaining players in the draw are seeded (12 Women and 13 men). One of the few unseeded players remaining in the draw is Steve Johnson, who will take on Roger Federer at 13:00 GMT on centre court. The American progressed to his first ever grand slam fourth round with a four-set win over Grigor Dimitrov. Seven-time Wimbledon champion Federer will be the first seeded player that the world No.29 has faced in the tournament. Johnson’s chances of springing a shock win are unlikely, but he will be drawing inspiration from Sam Querrey’s triumph over Novak Djokovic. It will be the first meeting between the two on the tour and Federer is expected to come through with little difficulty to reach his 14th quarter-final at SW19.
Serena Williams faces her old rival Svetlana Kuznetsova. Both women played their third round matches on Sunday in what was two very different encounters. Williams powered past Annika Beck, dropping just three games. Meanwhile, Kuznetsova endured a two-and-a-half hour marathon against Sloane Stephens, fighting back from 2-5 down in the final set. The world No.1 leads 9-3 in her head-to-head against the Russian, but has lost to her earlier this year at the Miami Open. Williams will need to be at the top of her game from the onset to avoid a shock loss and can’t afford to make an erratic start to the match like her earlier rounds in the tournament. The world No.1 should move to the last eight, however, don’t be surprised if she is taken to three sets.
The most eagerly awaited men’s fourth round match completes the line-up on Centre Court. Second seed and home favourite Andy Murray faces the talented Nick Kyrgios. It is a match the promises a lot with Kyrgios’ showboating skills and Murray’s sublime defensive skills. The Brit is yet to drop a set in the tournament compared to his opponent that has already dropped five. Murray currently leads the head-to-head 4-1 against the Australian and has won all of their previous meetings in grand slams. Kyrgios, who won his first ATP title earlier this year, has raw talent and will push Murray to his limits. The higher seed should come through, but it is never easy to predict a match involving the unpredictable Kyrgios.
On Court One Simona Halep faces a tough test against 9th seed Madison Keys. 21-year-old Keys is currently on an eight-match winning streak on the grass following her victory at the Birmingham Open. It will be the first meeting between the two since 2014 with the head-to-head currently level at 1-1. Halep has looked in impressive form over the past week with a trio of straight sets victories, including French Open semifinalist Kiki Bertens. She has only progressed beyond the fourth round once before at SW19 (2014 semifinalist). On the other hand, given Keys’ recent run and heavy hitting on the grass, the chances of a shock loss for Halep will be high.
Former champion Venus Williams follows against Carla Suarez Navarro. The eighth seed was facing the prospect of a third round exit before coming back to edge past Daria Kasatkina 7-5, 4-6, 10-8. Like Williams, Suarez Navarro has also had a tough route to the last 16 with a duo of three-set wins. It is expected that Williams will use her power to try to boss the Spaniard around the court, however, it won’t be that simple. Suarez Navarro might be at her best on the clay, but with one of the best backhands in the game she has the ability to spoil Williams’ party. The match promises to be as close as the players head-to-head (3-3) and both are worthy of a last eight place.
Finally, Richard Gasquet faces Davis Cup team mate Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Gasquet has the advantage of having an extra day off, unlike Tsonga, who edged out John Isner 19-17 in a five-set epic yesterday. The match will be a case of deja vu for both men, who also played against each other in the fourth round of the 2007 championships. Statistically Tsonga has a higher chance of winning with a 7-4 record against the seventh seed, but fatigue will be a big factor in the match.
Full order of play
Centre Court, 1pm start
(3) Roger Federer (Swi) v Steve Johnson (USA)
(1) Serena Williams (USA) v (13) Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus)
(15) Nick Kyrgios (Aus) v (2) Andy Murray (Gbr)
Court 1, 1pm start
(5) Simona Halep (Rom) v (9) Madison Keys (USA)
(8) Venus Williams (USA) v (12) Carla Suarez Navarro (Spa)
(7) Richard Gasquet (Fra) v (12) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra)
Court 2, 11.30am start
Misaki Doi (Jpn) v (4) Angelique Kerber (Ger)
(9) Marin Cilic (Cro) v (5) Kei Nishikori (Jpn)
(11) David Goffin (Bel) v (6) Milos Raonic (Can)
Court 3, 11.30am start
(3) Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) v (19) Dominika Cibulkova (Svk)
Ekaterina Makarova (Rus) v Elena Vesnina (Rus)
Jiri Vesely (Cze) v (10) Tomas Berdych (Cze)
Julien Benneteau (Fra) & Edouard Roger-Vasselin (Fra) v (9) Dominic Inglot (Gbr) & Daniel Nestor (Can)
Court 12, 11am start
Darija Jurak (Cro) & Anastasia Rodionova (Aus) v Johanna Konta (Gbr) & Maria Sanchez (USA)
Yaroslava Shvedova (Kaz) v (28) Lucie Safarova (Cze)
(19) Bernard Tomic (Aus) v (32) Lucas Pouille (Fra)
(16) Leander Paes (Ind) & Martina Hingis (Swi) v Artem Sitak (Nzl) & Laura Siegemund (Ger)
Court 18, 11am start
(21) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus) v (27) Coco Vandeweghe (USA)
(28) Sam Querrey (USA) v Nicolas Mahut (Fra)
(8) Vasek Pospisil (Can) & Jack Sock (USA) v Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) & Jordan Thompson (Aus)
(1) Pierre-Hugues Herbert (Fra) & Nicolas Mahut (Fra) v Stephane Robert (Fra) & Dudi Sela (Isr)
