The second half of the ATP's Big Four launches into play at Wimbledon on Tuesday, and neither No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic nor No. 3 Roger Federer has been fortunate enough to draw a lucky loser, a struggling journeyman or some inexperienced British youth via a wild card.
The top half of the WTA draw features some intriguing matchups. Fans from the U.S. will be chagrined to see that three matches put Americans against each other.
Here are three top selections from the menu:
No. 3 Roger Federer vs. Alexandr Dolgopolov (Federer leads series 3-0)
Federer hatched a risky master plan for 2017 shortly after losing to Milos Raonic in last year's Wimbledon semifinals. That blueprint proved brilliant. In Phase 1, he withdrew from the tour for the second half of 2016 in order to focus on fitness, family and rehabilitation of his injured knee. In Phase 2, he skipped the entire European clay-court circuit this year, including the French Open, in order to prepare for Wimbledon.
All of that guarantees exactly nothing, especially when his first-round opponent is a quick, flashy shot-maker with a somewhat unorthodox style.
Dolgopolov, a 28-year-old Ukrainian, has been ranked as high as No. 13 (January 2012). His production has fallen off in recent years, but he's a mercurial player who can serve darts with a motion that's jerky, quick and difficult to read. His forehand is a weapon, especially when he's moving well. Typically, he produces a bushel of winners as well as a barrel of unforced errors.
Federer is as quick as Dolgopolov but far more consistent and versatile. Dolgopolov was injured and had to retire from one of their three matches, but Federer won all three without the loss of a set. The five-set Grand Slam format will definitely work to Federer's advantage in case "The Dog" gets on a hot streak early.
Alison Riske vs. Sloane Stephens (Stephens leads 2-0)
This promises to be an intriguing battle between two very different personalities, both part of a strong field of players from the U.S. Riske is a hard-working overachiever, while Stephens is a conspicuously gifted player who has had trouble fully exploiting her potential.
The edge going in belongs to Riske, because this will be Stephens' first official match since a foot injury that required surgery forced her off the tour shortly after the Olympic Games in Rio last July. Stephens has had a lot of time to think about her career, which has been one of highs, lows and a revolving door full of coaches. She's still just 24 years old, but the window for becoming an elite player will be closing soon.
Riske, a 27-year-old from Pittsburgh, is an aggressive player who has been to the third round of Wimbledon twice, but also lost in the first round four times.
Stephens has lost her opening match only once, and she has been as far as the quarterfinals. Riske's flat shots and aggressive baseline style could present Stephens with problems in her first match back, as there's no real substitute for the pressure and pace of match play.
One of their previous meetings was on grass (Birmingham, 2014), with Stephens winning in three sets. This should be close and entertaining.
No. 2 Novak Djokovic vs. Martin Klizan (Djokovic leads 3-0)
Djokovic is back where the great unraveling began last year with his third-round loss to Sam Querrey. It's hard to believe that at that time, Djokovic held all four Grand Slam titles.
Since then, he has lost them all and won just three lower-level tournaments. His title in Eastbourne on Saturday was Djokovic's first since he won Doha at the beginning of this year.
Can there be a better moment than this for Djokovic to begin his process of rebuilding? Klizan is a lean, 6-foot-3, 27-year-old Slovak who makes easy power and plays an extremely smooth game. He was the French Open junior champion in 2006 and has been ranked as high as No. 24. He retired during the first set of his match at the Antalya grass-court tune-up tournament just a week ago but appears to be fit again.
All three previous meetings between these two have been on hard courts, with Klizan getting one set off Djokovic at the Miami Masters in 2015. The faster the surface, the better for Djokovic, because Klizan isn't in his league as a mover. But Klizan is a salty character who won't be intimidated, and he hits a relatively flat, precise ball. That can pay big dividends on the slick grass at Wimbledon.