Tennis fans get ready for Wimbledon

Strawberries and cream, rain stopping play, and the hopes of a nation resting on the shoulders of a select racket-wielding few - it can only mean one thing.

The 126th Wimbledon Championships start next Monday, with thousands of tennis fans expected to descend on south-west London's All England Lawn Tennis Club.

The two-week grand slam tournament will also serve as a precursor to SW19's Olympics appearance - the club is the venue for the games' tennis tournament, set to start just three weeks after Wimbledon finishes.

Homeside hopes will rest on the shoulders of world number four Andy Murray yet again - with crowds gathering on "Murray Mount" to watch him battle with old rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Murray has made no secret of his desire to be the first Briton since Fred Perry 76 years ago to lift the coveted trophy. But the Scot will not be going into the competition buoyed by recent success, after he was knocked out of Queen's in the second round by France's Nicolas Mahut on Tuesday, following a quarter-final exit at the French Open the previous week.

The 25-year-old is ranked behind top seed Djokovic, Nadal, and all-time leading men's player Roger Federer, seeded second and third respectively.

In the women's ranks, Maria Sharapova is number one seed, followed by Victoria Azarenka from Belarus, Polish Agnieszka Radwanska, and Czech Petra Kvitova in fourth.

But there are still hopes of success for the likes of former Wimbledon junior champion Laura Robson, who has been given a wildcard entry, and British number three Heather Watson who has been granted entry into the women's draw.

And while all eyes were previously firmly on the well-known Williams sisters, they face a fight to the top in this year's competition.

The draw for the grand slam takes place on Friday, giving players the opportunity to see who they will face in their battle for victory.