Querrey could face Federer early at Wimbledon

Sam Querrey is scheduled to meet dangerous qualifier
Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands next week in the first
round at Wimbledon. 2014 photo by Paul Bauman

   Don't expect Sam Querrey, Jarmila Gajdosova or Nicole Gibbs -- all of whom have strong Northern California ties -- to go far at Wimbledon in singles.
   Querrey, a 27-year-old San Francisco native, drew qualifier Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands on Friday in the first round. That's not as a great as it appears, as Sijsling upset hard-serving Milos Raonic, seeded 17th, in straight sets to reach the third round at Wimbledon two years ago.
   The winner of the Querrey-Sijsling encounter likely will face second-seeded Roger Federer. The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion will meet Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first round of the tournament, which begins Monday.
   Querrey hasn't won a set against Federer in two career matches. They last met seven years ago in the first round of the French Open.
   Querrey is scheduled to meet Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan today in the final of the Aegon Open in Nottingham. Querrey, seeded 12th, outlasted Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday.
   Gajdosova, who's set to play World TeamTennis for the Sacramento-based California Dream after Wimbledon, will meet 18th-seeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany in the first round. Gajdosova, a Slovakia native, became an Australian citizen in 2009.
   Lisicki has reached the quarterfinals or better at Wimbledon for the past four years, including an appearance in the 2013 final. She set world records with a 131-mph (210.8-kph) serve in last year's Bank of the West Classic at Stanford and 27 aces in her second-round victory in last week's Aegon Classic in Birmingham, England.
   Gibbs, the 2012 and 2013 NCAA singles champion from Stanford, will face Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko, who reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells in March as a qualifier.
   The winner of the Tsurenko-Gibbs match will meet either 29th-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania or Russian Daria Gavrilova, who advanced to the semifinals in Rome on clay in May as a qualifier, in the second round.
   Oddly, Querrey and Gajdosova both reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2010 to tie their best singles result in a Grand Slam tournament. Gajdosova won the mixed doubles title in the 2013 Australian Open with Matthew Ebden of Australia.
   Gibbs, 22, will make her Wimbledon main-draw debut.

Nadal, Azarenka matches highlight Aussie Open draw

   Highlights of today's Australian Open draw:

MEN

   Best first-round matchup: Rafael Nadal (3) vs. Mikhail Youzhny. Nadal, the 2009 champion and last year's runner-up, is trying to rebound from health problems last year. He could be tested by Youzhny, a former top-10 player now ranked No. 47 at age 32.
   First-round matchups of top seeds: Novak Djokovic (1) vs. qualifier to be determined; Roger Federer (2) vs. Yen-Hsun Lu, Nadal (3) vs. Youzhny, Stan Wawrinka (4, defending champion) vs. Marsel Ilhan.
   Potential quarterfinal matchups: Djokovic (1) vs. Milos Raonic (8), Wawrinka (4, defending champion) vs. Kei Nishikori (5), Nadal (3) vs. Tomas Berdych, Federer (2) vs. Andy Murray (8).
   Potential semifinal matchups: Djokovic (1) vs. Wawrinka (4) in rematch of 2014 epic quarterfinal, Federer (2) vs. Nadal (3). 
   Potential final matchup: Djokovic (1) vs. Federer (2).
   NorCal connection: Sam Querrey (San Francisco native, former Sacramento Capitals veteran in World TeamTennis) vs. Vasek Pospisil (2014 Wimbledon doubles champion with Jack Sock) in first round. 

WOMEN

   Best first-round matchup: Victoria Azarenka vs. Sloane Stephens. Azarenka won the Melbourne title in 2012 and 2013, and Stephens reached the semifinals in 2013. Both slumped last year with injuries.  

   First-round matchups of top seeds: Serena Williams (1) vs. Alison Van Uytvanck, Maria Sharapova (2) vs. qualifier to be determined, Simona Halep (3) vs. Karin Knapp, Petra Kvitova (4) vs. qualifier to be determined. 
   Potential quarterfinal matchups: Serena Williams (1) vs. Caroline Wozniacki (8), Kvitova (4) vs. Agnieszka Radwanska, Ana Ivanovic (5) vs. Halep (3), Sharapova (2) vs. qualifier to be determined.
   Potential semifinal matchups: Serena Williams (1) vs. Kvitova (4), Sharapova (2) vs. Halep (3). 
   Potential final matchup: Serena Williams (1) vs. Sharapova (2).
   NorCal connection: Nicole Gibbs (2012, 2013 NCAA champion from Stanford) vs. Olivia Rogowska (won Sacramento Challenger last July) in first round.