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Top seed Ashleigh Barty faces a challenging fortnight as she looks to get her hands on her first Wimbledon title. The World No. 1 has never been beyond the fourth round at SW19 and will be hoping to produce a much deeper run this year.
Barty, who was forced to retire from her second-round match at Roland Garros, will hope to put her recent injury concerns behind her and get the job done on the court.
On that note, let us take a look at Barty's potential path to the final:
Ashleigh Barty's 1st round opponent - Carla Suarez Navarro
Ashleigh Barty will face veteran Carla Suarez Navarro in the first round. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two players.
Making a comeback after recovering from cancer, Suarez Navarro announced earlier this year that 2021 would be the final season of her career. She will hope to level everything out on court when she steps out for her final Wimbledon campaign.
The Spaniard is a seven-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist and has made it to the second week at Wimbledon on three occasions (2013, 2016, 2019).
If Barty is fully fit, she should come through this clash without much fuss.
Ashleigh Barty's likely 2nd round opponent - Anna Blinkova / Timea Babos
If she comes through her opener, Barty will face either Russian youngster Anna Blinkova or doubles specialist Timea Babos in the second round. This will present an unfamiliar challenge for Barty as she hasn't played either of the two in the past.
Blinkova and Babos haven't had the best of seasons and share just five wins between them so far. Moreover, neither player has gone beyond the second round at Wimbledon. Barty should once again come through unscathed.
Ashleigh Barty's likely 3rd round opponent - Johanna Konta / Katerina Siniakova
The Australian could face 27th seed Johanna Konta or another doubles-specialist, Katerina Siniakova, in the third round. While Barty has never faced Siniakova before, she enjoys a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over Konta.
Siniakova's best results at the grasscourt Major are third-round appearances in 2016 and 2018. Konta, meanwhile, is a former semifinalist and knows a thing or two about causing upsets.
The Brit triumphed in Nottingham earlier this month and Barty will need to be wary of the threat Konta poses.
Ashleigh Barty's likely 4th round opponent - Barbora Krejcikova / Kiki Bertens
Barty's next test could be either Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova or 17th seed Kiki Bertens. Barty boasts a 5-1 head-to-head advantage over Bertens and hasn't faced Krejcikova before.
Krejcikova is in the form of her life. The Czech is riding a wave of confidence after clinching her maiden Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros earlier this month. Krejcikova could cause a few problems for the Australian, but Barty should be able to come through.
Ashleigh Barty's likely quarterfinal opponent - Victoria Azarenka / Bianca Andreescu
Barty could face her stiffest challenge in the quarterfinals against fellow Grand Slam champions Victoria Azarenka or Bianca Andreescu.
Azarenka made deep runs in the German cities of Berlin and Bad Homburg and thus has plenty of grasscourt matches under her belt heading into Wimbledon.
Andreescu, meanwhile, has not been in the greatest of form, but the Canadian can never be written off given the talent she possesses. She registered her first grasscourt victory in Eastbourne earlier this week.
That said, Barty should be the favorite to advance. She leads the head-to-head against both players (1-0 v Andreescu, 2-1 v Azarenka).
Ashleigh Barty's likely semifinal opponent - Serena Williams / Elina Svitolina
If Barty manages to advance to the semifinals, she could come up against Serena Williams or Elina Svitolina.
Barty has a poor head-to-head record against both opponents. The World No. 1 has lost five of eight meetings with the Ukrainian. She did, however, win their most recent clash at the Stuttgart Open.
Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams could pose a much more formidable challenge. Barty has lost both previous meetings against the American. However, Williams has not played a match on grass this year and it remains to be seen how she adjusts to the surface.
Ashleigh Barty's likely opponent in the final - Aryna Sabalenka / Petra Kvitova
If Barty can ward off the challenges thrown at her and advance to her first Wimbledon final, she could face a familiar opponent in the shape of Aryna Sabalenka or Petra Kvitova.
Barty has faced Kvitova and Sabalenka a combined 18 times till date. Her head-to-head with Sabalenka is tied at 4-4, with Barty winning two of three matches against the Belarusian this year.
Her record against two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova tells a similar story. The two have split their 10 tour meetings, with Barty winning their most recent encounter in Madrid earlier this year.
But past results will ultimately count for little when it comes to a Grand Slam final.
