Wimbledon 2016: Who are the 15 Britons battling for singles glory at the All England Club?
From Murray and Moore to Watson and Ward, these are the Britons who will be representing the nation
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Your support makes all the difference.Britain will be represented by 15 hopefuls in this year's singles competition with Andy Murray yet again providing the nation's best chance for glory at the prestigious tournament.
So who are they?
The men:
Andy Murray (aged 29, world No 2)
Wimbledon champion in 2013 and winner of Olympic gold on Centre Court the previous year. He's performed consistently well at the All England Club, having reached the quarter-finals or better on his last eight appearances. Ivan Lendl, who was his coach when he won both his previous Grand Slam titles, has just rejoined his entourage. Murray lost to world No 1 Novak Djokovic in both of this year’s Grand Slam finals.
Aljaz Bedene (aged 26, world No 55)
Born in Slovenia but has lived in Britain since 2008. Bedene has a British passport but is not allowed to play for Britain in the Davis Cup because he previously represented his country of birth in the cup. Although he's best on clay, Bedene won at Wimbledon for the first time last summer with his first-round victory over Radek Stepanek. He reached the third round of this year’s French Open before losing to Novak Djokovic. Tough first-round draw against Richard Gasquet.
Kyle Edmund (aged 21, world No 68)
Reached the quarter-finals of the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club earlier this month before losing to Andy Murray. Also beat Lukas Rosol in Nottingham last week. Edmund is currently at a career-high position in the world rankings. Has been at his best on clay in the past – his only two victories at Grand Slam tournaments have been at the French Open - but he has shown big improvements on all surfaces in the last year. Plays France’s Adrian Mannarino in the first round, with the winner likely to face Novak Djokovic.
Dan Evans (aged 26, world No 95)
Broke into the world’s top 100 for the first time this year. Has plenty of ability but has admitted in the past that he could work harder. Evans has the ability to rise to the big occasion, as he has shown on Davis Cup duty. He's struggled to to make his mark on clay but has a good grass-court game. Evans has a winnable first-round match against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff and could meet Alexandr Dolgopolov in the second round.
James Ward (age 29, world No 177)
A difficult year for the Londoner became even tougher when he was drawn against Novak Djokovic, the world No 1 and defending champion, in the first round. He's dropped 88 places in world rankings since last summer’s Wimbledon, when he reached the third round, and will fall further if he fails to defend those points this week. Last year’s crucial Davis Cup triumph over John Isner in Glasgow seems a distant memory.
Liam Broady (aged 22, world No 234)
Won his first match at Wimbledon last year when he beat Marinko Matosevic before losing to David Goffin, but has since dropped out of the world’s top 200 and did not play another tour-level match until losing to Dan Evans in Nottingham last week. Former Wimbledon junior doubles champion and junior singles runner-up. He faces Andy Murray in the first round. His sister Naomi is in the women’s draw.
Alex Ward (aged 26, world No 244)
Handed wild card after a run of consistent results, including victories over established professionals Alejandro Falla and Michael Berrer on grass at Aegon Manchester Trophy. Ward tried to qualify for Wimbledon on four previous occasions but lost in the first round each time. Faces tough first-round encounter with Belgium’s David Goffin, the world No 17.
Brydan Klein (aged 26, world No 257)
Born and raised in Australia but switched national allegiance three years ago. Klein has a British mother and now trains at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton. He reached the semi-finals of Ilkley grass-court Challenger earlier this month. Achieved his highest singles world ranking (No 169) three years ago. Lost to Andreas Seppi on Wimbledon debut last year. Wild card again this year and faces Nicolas Mahut in the first round.
Marcus Willis (aged 25, world No 775)
Highly unlikely qualifier, having not played any professional matches since January. Came through the pre-qualifying event for British players and then won three matches in qualifying last week. He had never previously claimed a top 100 scalp until his first-round victory over Japan’s Yuichi Sugita, the world No 99. He faces Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis in the first round – with the winner likely to meet Roger Federer.
The women:
Johanna Konta (aged 25, world No 18)
She's climbed more than 100 places in the world rankings since last summer, when she lost in the first round at Wimbledon to Maria Sharapova. An excellent last 12 months were highlighted by her run to the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Reached the semi-finals in Eastbourne last week before losing to Karolina Pliskova, having won her rain-delayed quarter-final earlier in the day. Tricky first-round draw against Monica Puig.
Heather Watson (aged 24, world No 50)
Watson won the title in Monterrey earlier this year but has had an up-and-down 12 months since going within two points of beating Serena Williams in a memorable third-round match on Centre Court last summer. She's enjoyed moderate form on grass this year but has a reasonable draw against Germany’s Annika Beck, with the winner likely to face France’s Kristina Mladenovic in the second round. Serena Williams could await in the third round.
Naomi Broady (aged 26, world No 84)
Broady has climbed up world rankings the hard way without the support from the Lawn Tennis Association following a family dispute with the governing body. Her big serve can be highly effective on grass but she's not had the best results in recent weeks. She made the world’s top 100 for the first time earlier this year and played in a Grand Slam tournament via her world ranking (rather than through qualifying or a wild card) for the first time at the recent French Open.
Tara Moore (aged 23, world No 229)
Earned a wild card after an excellent run at the ATP Aegon Open Nottingham grass-court event, where she won three matches in the qualifying rounds and then beat Donna Vekic and Christina McHale before losing to Saisai Zheng in the quarter-finals. She also reached the final of the Eastbourne International Tennis Federation grass-court tournament. Moore has lost in the first round on both her previous Wimbledon appearances but took both Kaia Kanepi and Vera Zvonareva to three sets. Faces Belgium’s Alison van Uytvanck in the first round.
Laura Robson (aged 22, world No 294)
Little has gone right for the 2008 Wimbledon junior champion since she injured her wrist three years ago. She came back following surgery last summer but has struggled to recapture her former glories. She's been playing with a “protected” world ranking and wild cards, which have got her into the bigger tournaments this year, but she'll have to return to the much smaller events after Wimbledon. She has a tough first-round draw against Angelique Kerber, the reigning Australian Open champion.
Katie Swan (aged 17, world No 441)
Britain’s most promising teenager makes her Wimbledon main draw debut thanks to a wild card. She's been playing mostly in smaller International Tennis Federation tournaments this year but she also became Britain’s youngest Fed Cup player when she helped Judy Murray’s team to beat South Africa. She faces the powerful Hungarian Timea Babos in the first round, with the winner likely to face No 27 seed Coco Vandeweghe.
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