Kiwis get good draws for Wimbledon doubles

Erin Routliffe and her Chilean partner Alexa Guarachi have avoided going up against a seed in the first round at Wimbledon.

The draws were made at the All England Lawn Tennis Club on Friday, with Routliffe and Guarachi picked to go up against singles specialists Irina-Camelia Begu from Romania and Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina.

It will be a tricky match on either Wednesday or Thursday for Routliffe and Guarachi, but one they’re certainly capable of winning.

If they do come out on top they could potentially play the No 3 seeds in the second round, Elise Mertens from Belgium and Australia’s Storm Hunter.

Michael Venus and British home crowd favourite, Jamie Murray are seeded 13th and will play against Frenchman Albano Olivetti and David Vega Hernandez from Spain in the first round.

Olivetti and Vega Hernandez are doubles specialists, but have far less experience on grass than Venus and Murray as this will be Olivetti’s first appearance at Wimbledon, while Vega Hernandez has played this grand slam just once before.

If matches go as expected, Venus and Murray would face the No 3 seeds Hugo Nys from Monaco and Poland’s Jan Zielinski in the third round.