Wimbledon wildcard for Aussie Ebden

Australia will have at least a dozen players in the singles main draws at Wimbledon following Matt Ebden's wildcard invitation to the grasscourt grand slam.

Matt Ebden of Australia

In-form Matt Ebden has been rewarded with a Wimbledon wildcard. (AAP)

In-form Matt Ebden has been rewarded with a Wimbledon wildcard, giving Australia at least 12 players in the main draw of the grasscourt grand slam starting on Monday week.

After a rough trot with injury, Ebden has won 10 of his past 11 matches on English grass to all but force the All England Club's hand on Friday.

Ranked 61st in the world last year, Ebden plummeted to as low as 359th in March before climbing to 154th after winning the Challenger title in Surbiton last week.

The 27-year-old has continued his great run this week in Ilkley, where he will face Irishman James McGee later on Friday for a place in the final.

Ebden's Wimbledon invitation follows confirmation of Lleyton Hewitt's wildcard earlier this week.

Hewitt has been a member of the All England Club since winning the gentlemen's singles title in 2002 and his participation for a 17th and final championship tilt was a formality despite the 34-year-old falling to No.117 in the world.

The dual grand slam champion showed encouraging form in a tight three-set first-round loss to world No.17 Kevin Anderson this week at the Queen's Club, where he held a match point, and says he's excited about his Wimbledon swan song.

"I love this month, this time of the year," Hewitt said.

"Obviously clay was never my favourite surface. As soon as I got to London and started preparing for Wimbledon and obviously Queen's, that tournament, then I felt right at home straightaway.

"I have said it so many times, but this time of the year is one of my favourites. I love just getting (on the grass) and obviously Wimbledon, going back there as a member, it's a pretty special place."

Ebden and Hewitt will join former quarter-finalists Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios, along with Sam Groth, Thanasi Kokkinakis and James Duckworth in the men's singles at SW19.

Samantha Stosur, Daria Gavrilova, Casey Dellacqua, Jarmila Gajdosova and Ajla Tomljanovic will represent Australia in the women's event.


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Source: AAP


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