Wimbledon draw: Serena, Kerber projected for early clash; Barty's tough path, Swiatek opens vs. Hsieh

First quarter: Barty, Konta meeting projected; Andreescu, Cornet, Ostapenko, Kasatkina, Azarenka in same section
No.1 seed Ashleigh Barty, who has eschewed grass tune-ups this year in order to recover from the hip injury that saw her retire in the second round of Roland Garros, faces a tough first week. The Australian has an emotional opener against former World No.6 Carla Suárez Navarro, who is competing in her final Wimbledon after a successful battle against cancer over the past year.
In the third round, home hope and 2017 semifinalist Johanna Konta looms for Barty. The big-serving No.27 seed has quietly rounded into form on grass, winning her first title in four years - and first on home soil - in Nottingham two weeks ago.
Projected to meet Barty or Konta in the last 16 is freshly-crowned Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova
The lower half of the top quarter is the most explosive of the draw. No.5 seed Bianca Andreescu
Another recent reprise could determine Andreescu's third-round opponent: No.31 seed Daria Kasatkina
As if those barnburners weren't enough, whoever survives that section is projected to face either No.12 seed Victoria Azarenka
Second quarter: Serena, Kerber rematch looms; Gauff, Bencic await winner
Two of the five former Wimbledon champions in this year's draw, No.6 seed Serena Williams and No.25 seed Angelique Kerber, are projected to clash in the third round in what would be a rematch of the 2016 and 2018 finals.
Serena defeated Kerber to claim her seventh Wimbledon crown, and 22nd Grand Slam singles trophy, in 2016. Two years later, the German reversed the result to capture her third major title. Prior to a potential rematch this year, Serena opens against Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Awaiting the winner in the fourth round could be either No.9 seed Belinda Bencic
The Ukrainian first needs to navigate a section including No.19 seed and Australian Open semifinalist Karolina Muchova
Third quarter: Kvitova to open against Stephens; opportunity for Pegula, Kudermetova, Samsonova
No.10 seed Petra Kvitova is the only former champion in the third quarter, and has landed a popcorn first-round against 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens. An intriguing third round also looms for either Kvitova or Stephens against No.22 seed Jessica Pegula
Appropriately, one of the most dangerous unseeded opponents in the draw also lurks here. Liudmila Samsonova
The third quarter is headed by seeds who will be seeking to turn around subpar form. No.4 Sofia Kenin
No.8 Karolina Pliskova
Fourth quarter: Swiatek opens against Hsieh; Sabalenka to navigate Alexandrova, Rybakina
No.7 seed Iga Swiatek
Nor does it get any easier therein for the 20-year-old Pole. Vera Zvonareva, the 2010 runner-up, could await in the second round; in the third, No.26 seed Petra Martic
One of the most tantalising projected third-round clashes in the draw could determine Swiatek's last-16 opponent. No.11 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, the 2017 champion, is drawn to face No.21 seed Ons Jabeur
Before that, both need to navigate past unseeded former Grand Slam winners: Jabeur could face four-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the second round, while a clash with two-time major titlist Svetlana Kuznetsova awaits Muguruza at the same stage.
Heading the fourth quarter is No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka
Click here to view the full Wimbledon 2021 draw at wimbledon.com.