Yahoo News Wimbledon draw descends into chaos as fans brand it an 'absolute shambles'
The eagerly-awaited Wimbledon draw turned to disarray on Friday as a mix-up occurred during the ladies singles slots allocation.
With Polish professional and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek heading the women's singles' list, the competition started raising quizzical eyebrows when unseeded players like Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka also featured prominently.
Referee Denise Parnell for Wimbledon was handling the draw smoothly until a baffling exchange between her and the graphics team cast a momentary cloud of confusion over proceedings.
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Instead of Beatriz Haddad Maia's name from Brazil, Russian tennis sensation Mirra Andreeva's appeared on the screen which caused subsequent errors, drawing players into incorrect lines.
A pause ensued to troubleshoot the issue before normalcy was restored and the draw resumed amidst viewer suspense, reports the Mirror.
Disgruntled spectators watching from home however didn't take kindly to the blunder in the proceedings. Social media was on fire with fans venting their frustrations; one viewer stated: "Thought I'd tune into the Wimbledon draw for the first time ever, and what an absolute shambles, what is going on."
Another shared: "Wimbledon ladies singles draw such a mess."
One observant user noted, "Tremendous fun in the Wimbledon draw. Making a right mess. Ref won't slow down! Saying things faster won't help! ".
Despite a few early setbacks, the draw was eventually finalised. Haddad Maia will face off against Magdalena Frech, while Swiatek has been handed a challenging first round match against former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin.
British sensation Emma Raducanu is set to play 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Here's how the women's singles first-round draw looks:.
Fran Jones (W) vs Petra Martic.
Alja Tomljanovic vs Jelena Ostapenko (13).
Marketa Vondrousova vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Katie Boulter vs Tatjana Maria.
Harriet Dart vs Zhuoxuan Bai (Q).
Emma Raducanu vs Ekaterina Alexandrova (22).
Tamara Korpatsch vs Yuriko Lily Miyazaki (W).
Mirra Andreeva (24) vs Brenda Fruhvitrova.
Aryna Sabalenka (2) vs Emina Bektas.
Heather Watson (W) vs Greet Minnen.
Victoria Azarenka (16) vs Sloane Stephens.
Naomi Osaka (WC) vs Diane Parry.
Sonay Kartal (Q) vs Sorana Cirstea.
Coco Gauff (2) vs Caroline Dolehide.
