WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - A quick look at Wimbledon, the year’s third Grand Slam tournament:
SURFACE
Grass courts
SITE
All England Club
SCHEDULE
The 13-day tournament begins Monday. The women’s singles final is Saturday, July 13; the men’s singles final is Sunday, July 14. There are no night sessions, and there is no play scheduled for the middle Sunday, July 7.
LOOKAHEAD TO MONDAY
The marquee matchup of Day 1 - one Roger Federer called “fascinating” - features the oldest player in the women’s draw, 39-year-old Venus Williams, against the youngest, 15-year-old Coco Gauff. Consider: Williams already had won four of her seven Grand Slam titles by the time Gauff was born. And then there’s this: The match is the 106th for Williams at the All England Club - and the first for Gauff, an American who is the youngest qualifier at Wimbledon in the half-century of professional tennis. Gauff considers Williams and her younger sister, Serena, her idols. “It’s a great moment for her and for Venus. It’s going to be a big moment for Venus, as well,” Serena Williams said. “She’s playing against a player that actually reminds me of Venus.” That is scheduled to be the third match on No. 1 Court, following contests involving former No. 1 Simona Halep, then No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev. Per tournament tradition, the first match on Centre Court will be played by the defending men’s champion, Novak Djokovic, who faces Philipp Kohlschreiber. Also in the main stadium is former No. 1 Naomi Osaka, followed by No. 30 seed Kyle Edmund of Britain. Others on the schedule include Grand Slam champions Stan Wawrinka and Caroline Wozniacki, and last year’s Wimbledon runner-up, Kevin Anderson.
MONDAY’S FORECAST
Partly cloudy. High of 21 degrees Celsius (70 Fahrenheit).
2018 MEN’S SINGLES CHAMPION
Novak Djokovic of Serbia
2018 WOMEN’S SINGLES CHAMPION
Angelique Kerber of Germany
NEW ROOF
A retractable roof is making its debut at No. 1 Court, giving Wimbledon two arenas where play can continue when it rains. Centre Court’s roof has been in place since 2009.
FINAL-SET TIEBREAKERS
The All England Club joins the Australian Open this year in adding final-set tiebreakers - fifth sets for men; third sets for women - and leaving the French Open as the only Grand Slam tournament that will let singles matches continue until someone wins by two games. At Wimbledon, first-to-seven, win-by-two tiebreakers will be played at 12-all in the final set. Until 2019, the U.S. Open was the only major tennis tournament with a last-set tiebreaker.
KEY STATISTIC
16 - Consecutive Wimbledon titles won by Roger Federer (8), Novak Djokovic (4), Rafael Nadal (2) and Andy Murray (2), a streak that began in 2003. Murray is entered in doubles but not singles this year as he comes back from hip surgery.
PRIZE MONEY
Total: 38 million pounds (about US $48 million).
Men’s and women’s singles champions: 2.35 million pounds each (about US $3 million).
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