If there’s one Grand Slam at the top of every player’s wish list, it’s Wimbledon.
Wimbledon is the spiritual home for tennis and the tradition continues tonight where a record number of Australians take part including our own Matt Ebden and Casey Dellacqua.
Ebden comes into the tournament after a stellar few months which has seen his ranking rise to 148 in the world.
A wildcard was thrown his way after making the final of his past two tournaments on grass including an ultra impressive win at Surbiton.
It’s the kind of tennis which saw him ranked inside the worlds top 70 just 18 months ago before injury took its toll.
To make the second round, the West Aussie will have to get past Slovenian Blaz Rola tonight, third up on Court 11.
Ranked 93 in the world Rola has been toiling away on the Challenger Tour of late and made it to the round of 16 at Ilkley, the same tournament where Ebden made the final.
Rola’s best result at Wimbledon was a second round appearance last year.
Meanwhile Dellacqua kicks off her tournament with women’s doubles in the match before Edben.
After falling just short of the French Open crown, Dellacqua again partners Yaroslava Shvedova.
It will be just their fourth tournament together.
Dellacqua has been to Wimbledon doubles final before in 2010, where she fell at the final hurdle alongside Ashleigh Barty.
Seeded number nine the pair take on Gabriela Dabrowski and Alicja Rosolska tonight where they are the heavy favourites.
Her attention then moves to singles where she’ll battle world number 243 Tamira Pazek tomorrow.
Pazek goes in with some success on grass after making the quarter final of Ikley last week and is a two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist.
While Dellacqua looked impressive in her lead up event in Eastbourne knocking off Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, she fell to 8th seed Karolina Pliskova in two long tough sets.
With her family there to cheer her on, the 30 year-old is confident she can manage a niggling foot injury and mix it in both singles and doubles.