Andy Murray begins his final Wimbledon matches on Thursday, teaming up with his brother Jamie in the men’s doubles, while there are two all-British singles matches.
The Murray brothers will face Australian pair John Peers and Linky Hijikata in the third match on Centre Court.
In the second round of singles, 32nd seed Katie Boulter will face Harriet Dart before British men’s number one Jack Draper takes on 2022 semi-finalist Cameron Norrie.
In the opening round at the Centre, British wild card and recent college graduate Jacob Fearnley has the daunting task of taking on seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.
Meanwhile, Lily Miyazaki will face 14th seed Daria Kasatkina on Court 18 at 11am BST in a match postponed due to rain on Wednesday, aiming to reach the third round along with Emma Raducanu and Sonai Kartalu.
Murray family plans ‘good run’ for Andy’s farewell
Two-time champion Andy Murray was cruelly denied the opportunity to play one last singles match at the venue that has become his signature venue.
But just 10 days after back surgery, he declared himself well enough to make an impressive appearance alongside his brother Jamie in the men’s doubles.
The pair have never played together in a championship before, having teamed up to win the Davis Cup in 2015 and competing in the men’s doubles at three Olympic Games, including the 2012 London Games.
This will be Andy’s final chance at Wimbledon, as the 37-year-old plans to retire later this year.
“Having the opportunity to come here and play with Jamie is special so I want to make the most of it,” Andy said.
“Just having fun during the game is easier said than done because in the game you are competing, you are focused and you want to win.
“Hopefully we can do well.”
Britain’s top two players face off in the women’s and men’s singles
Court 1 will see British players dominate on Day 4, with Bowlter taking on Dart in the opening match at 13:00.
The two 27-year-olds were born just four days apart and Boulter said they “both know each other’s games inside and out.”
Boulter has won both of her matches on the WTA Tour, including a close three-set win at the Nottingham Open last month.
It’s a match between the number one and number two ranked players in the UK and Dart, ranked 94th in the world, says his opponent is “having a fantastic year”.
Following them on court will be the men’s left-handers Draper and Norrie, with Draper recently established as Britain’s top player.
“I have a lot of respect for Cam,” said 28th-seeded Draper, who expects the match to be “incredibly tough.”
The 22-year-old told BBC Sport: “He’s one of those players who is incredibly disciplined and always treated me really well as a young player. Cam is really the one who showed me the way.”
Draper won his first ATP Tour title on grass tennis in Stuttgart last month before defeating Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s. Norrie, 28, said the younger Draper was playing at an “unreal” level.
“You’ve got to be at your best to have a chance to play against him. He’s in really good form,” Norrie added.
“We’ve been practicing a lot with each other and we’re good friends, so it’s unfortunate that we have to play against each other so soon, but I’m looking forward to the match.”
Djokovic studies Fernley
Few people outside British tennis insiders will have heard of Jacob Fearnley before now.
That included his second-round opponent on Centre Court on Thursday.
“I don’t know much about him myself,” said Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion.
“I watched some tape of his first-round match this morning. I need to do some video analysis, study more with my team and be ready.”
The 22-year-old Scottish native Fearnley graduated from a US university in May and has enjoyed a productive summer on the grass courts in Britain.
He was ranked outside the world 500 last month but won the Nottingham Open on the second-tier ATP Challenger Tour, which has seen him move into the world top 300.
He earned a wild card into Wimbledon and beat Spanish qualifier Alejandro Moro Canas on Tuesday.
“It’s always a tough job for a British player to play in Britain,” said the 37-year-old Djokovic, who is still recovering from knee surgery he underwent last month.
“I saw him play and he was a complete winner. He has a strong serve, an attacking style and loves going to the net.”
