What is it? It’s the third grand slam of the year, the Wimbledon championships which run between Monday, July 2 until Sunday, July 15. When is the draw for the championships? The official draw will take place on Friday, June 29 at 10am. When will the seeds be announced? On Tuesday, June 26. Will Serena Williams be seeded? Good question. While Williams is entitled to a protected ranking after missing a year's tennis after giving birth to her daughter, the seeding dilemma is one for the All England Club to address. It has a committee devoted to the subject, which will meet on Tuesday and then deliver it's verdict. While some in the game feel she would be deserving of a seeding to avoid the 36-year-old going up against a top player in the first round, some club officials feel it would be unfair to relegate a player who has worked hard all year to earn their place in the top 32. The US Open confirmed on Saturday that it would treat new mothers as special cases, and help them out with seedings where appropriate. The ball is now in your court, Wimbledon.<doc-sep>Paire has a big serve and a world-class backhand, but his forehand is so unpredictable that he sometimes runs around to hit the double-hander instead. This is almost unique in pro tennis, where 99 per cent of players prefer to do the opposite. He also has a fondness for eye-catching looks. Before last month’s French Open, he dyed his hair white, making himself resemble a Mr Whippy. He later adjusted this to a light grey that contrasted alarmingly with the natural darkness of his hipster beard. Cosmetics apart, this is a tough draw to start with. Paire’s ranking might stand at No 48 but he has climbed as high as No 18. He is also comfortable on grass, as he showed last week in Halle by bringing up two match points – which he could not take – against Wimbledon’s top seed, Roger Federer. Having lost the match, Paire then posted a video on social media that showed him driving home at 126mph. The German autobahn has no speed limit. This was a very Paire move. In 2013, he reacted to his third-round defeat at Wimbledon by smashing all his rackets against the wall at the side of Court 18. The following year he complained that the atmosphere at this tournament “displeases me greatly” and added: “Here all they like is giving fines.” But last summer he changed his tune, saying “This year, I’m happy to come because it’s even an honour to play here, a privilege to be on these courts.” Asked about his opening opponent on Friday, Murray replied: “I guess I could have played one of the top players in the world. At this stage where I am at, playing Paire in the first round is tricky for me. He is a very, very talented guy [and] awkward to play against.” While Murray practised, Paire was in action on Friday at the Boodles exhibition event at Stoke Park. He lost 6-2, 7-6 to Sam Querrey, the big-serving American who ended Murray’s Wimbledon run in the quarter-finals last year. “It’s unlucky to play against Andy in a Wimbledon first round,” said Paire on Friday. “If he comes on court it’s because he’s 100 per cent. So it will be tough, but with the confidence of last week … I had two match points against Federer, so I know I can beat him.” Asked about last year’s result, Paire added: “It’s extra motivation and you never know, he just came back and he has played only three matches. If I can win I will be really, really happy.”<doc-sep>Andy Murray, still recovering from hip surgery last year, says his goal to play in Wimbledon still stands. However, the 31-year-old's return to the grass isn't going to come without stipulations. In an interview with BBC, Murray emphasized that he isn't going to play in Wimbledon if he isn't playing competitively. When the reporter asked him if his decision "hinges" on being competitive, the former ATP World No. 1 didn't mince words. "Pretty much, yeah," he said. "You know ... it's not like I'm going to do any damage to myself if I do play at Wimbledon ... You obviously gain stuff physically by playing matches and obviously ultimately that's the best test for you is to play competitive matches ... How do you go about improving [what needs to be improved]? Does that come from being on the match court, being on the practice court or doing more work in the gym?" Murray also told BBC that "there is no danger of me injuring my hip more than any other stage." He also mentioned playing with Kyle Edmund, Britain's top-ranked player at No. 18 in the world, adding that he didn't win a game against Edmund when they practiced. Ultimately, however, it boiled down to this for Murray: "I don't want to go out there to just play, I want to compete properly. If I'm in the right place, physically feel ready, and mentally in the right place, then I'll go for it." Wimbledon will feature, as always, the best in tennis, including defending champion Roger Federer. Federer skipped the clay court season to manage his body after winning the Australian Open. Murray hasn't played a major since Wimbledon last summer, in which he made it to quarterfinals before losing to the United States' Sam Querrey in five sets, which would be his last match of the season. Since his return, he's played in the Queen's Club Championshps and the Eastbourne International. Murray lost to Nick Kyrgios in straight sets in the first round of the Queen's Club Championships. He then defeated Stan Wawrinka as a wild card at the Eastbourne International before losing to Edmund.<doc-sep>
Last updated on .From the section Tennis 2018 Nature Valley International on the BBC Venue: Devonshire Park, Eastbourne Dates: 24-30 June Coverage: Watch the women's tournament live on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, Connected TVs, the BBC Sport website and app. Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray says he will only play at this year's event if he is "ready". The 31-year-old Briton impressively beat Stan Wawrinka at Eastbourne in the second match of his comeback following hip surgery. Wimbledon, which former world number one Murray won in 2013 and 2016, starts at the All England Club on Monday. "If I feel like I'm in good enough shape then I'll do it. But if I don't then I won't play," said the Scot. "I'm not putting any pressure on myself to make that decision after one or two matches here because I don't need to." Murray, who has dropped to 156th in the world, is eligible to play at Wimbledon because he was still ranked inside the top 100 at the cut-off point for entry. The draw will be made at the All England Club on Friday, but Murray says he might not be able to make a decision before then. "It depends a little bit on here, I could obviously still be playing then," he said. "It's the nature of the way our sport works that I could be competing in the tournament still, so I have no idea what's happening on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. "I could potentially play a match on Friday of three hours and not feel good the next day. "I can't predict what is going to happen." Murray eased past Wawrinka, also a three-time Grand Slam winner, in straight sets at the Nature Valley International in Eastbourne. It was only Murray's second match since last year's Wimbledon after being sidelined for 11 months following surgery on his right hip. "I'm pretty positive that, maybe not this week or next week, but given a bit of time I can still compete with the best players again," Murray added.