Andy Murray to face Tomas Machac in Wimbledon opener if he is fit in time

During the draw for the men's singles at Wimbledon, Andy Murray had a bittersweet moment at the All England Club on Friday morning. Dealing with fitness issues after back surgery and facing retirement this summer, the former champion was matched up against Tomas Machac in the first round. It's the same opponent Murray was playing when he suffered a serious ankle injury in Miami a few months ago.

Murray has been continuously plagued by injuries since coming back from a surgical procedure on his hip in 2019 that saved his career. Despite having a metal hip and defying medical odds by competing at a high level, he has struggled with staying healthy. If Murray is able to participate in Wimbledon, he will face off against Machac, a skilled player from the Czech Republic. Since their last match in March, Machac has climbed in the rankings from No 60 to No 38.

Murray was very upset about his ankle injury because he had recently won two matches in a row for the first time this year. Since then, he has been working hard to get back to full health. Unfortunately, he had to have surgery last week to remove a cyst on his back. Normally, he might have been happy with today's match-up, as his next opponent, Francisco Cerúndolo, has only won one match at Wimbledon. However, facing Hubert Hurkacz in the third round would always be a challenge.

Murray was probably happy to not have to play against any of the top players in the first round. The top seed, Jannik Sinner, and the defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz, are in one half of the draw, while Novak Djokovic, who had knee surgery in June, is in the other half with Alexander Zverev. Djokovic announced on Friday that he was feeling no pain after beating Daniil Medvedev in an exhibition match at Hurlingham.

When inquired about his physical condition after the match, the 37-year-old responded: "I had a great time out there today. Playing without any pain is the best way to play tennis. I felt no pain and I am very happy about it. Testing myself against one of the top players in the world was a great experience."

I've had a few practice matches but I was eager to challenge myself. The challenge went well, so I'm very happy. It's been a tough three weeks since my surgery, putting in long hours of rehab.

"I have always dreamed of having the opportunity to be in London. I believe my surgeon is located here. He has been a lifesaver for the past three weeks. I am taking each day as it comes, eager to see how things progress."

Murray ended up in the right spot in the draw, which was a relief. People were surprised when Beatriz Haddad Maia's name was called and Mirra Andreeva ended up in her place instead. The men's draw also had a mix-up with Ben Shelton and Ugo Humbert. This was not the best start for the new tournament referee, Denise Parnell.

The tournament draw also created some exciting matchups for several British players, especially Jack Draper and Cam Norrie, who may face each other in the second round. Draper, who is seeded at Wimbledon for the first time at No 28, is expected to have the upper hand against Norrie, a previous semi-finalist who hasn't been performing well. Zverev, the No 4 seed, could be waiting in the third round. Katie Boulter, also seeded for the first time at No 32, might go up against fellow Briton Harriet Dart in round two.

In the next match, Fran Jones will compete against Petra Martic in hopes of advancing to the second round where she could potentially face the top-seeded player, Iga Swiatek. The winner of the match will have the opportunity to challenge Swiatek. However, Swiatek must first overcome former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. Additionally, she has tough competitors like defending champion Marketa Vondrousova and Danielle Collins in her quarter of the draw.