May 24, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 18, 1429

PARIS, May 23: Triple champion Rafael Nadal faces a tough task in his bid to win a fourth consecutive French Open following Friday’s draw for the tournament starting on Sunday.

The second seed, who has never been beaten at Roland-Garros since his debut in 2005, is in the same half of the draw as Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Argentine sixth seed David Nalbandian.

Following a first-round match against a qualifier, the Spaniard could meet Finn Jarkko Nieminen and Russian Mikhail Youzhny before a possible quarter-final against Nalbandian and a rematch of last year’s semi-final with Djokovic.

World number one Roger Federer, chasing the only Grand Slam title to have eluded him, faces a first-round test against American Sam Querrey, who had a surprising run to the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters last month.

A possible fourth-round encounter with Argentine Juan Monaco, the world number 14, could be on the cards.

One of the highlights of Federer’s campaign could be a quarter-final with compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka, seeded ninth.

Wawrinka broke into the limelight this season by reaching the Barcelona Open semi-finals and the Rome Masters final, where he lost in three sets to Djokovic.

Then a semi-final battle with Spaniard David Ferrer looms for Federer.

Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten, who won the tournament in 1997, 2000 and 2001 and will retire once his last French Open campaign is over, faces Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the first round.

In the women’s draw, last year’s runner-up Ana Ivanovic of Serbia faces a daunting task if she is to claim her first Grand Slam title.

Even though the path has been cleared for many contenders since four-time champion Justine Henin retired suddenly last week, Ivanovic could meet aggressive Czech Lucie Safarova, who reached the last 16 in 2007, as soon as the second round.

The Australian Open finalist could then meet another Czech, Nicole Vaidisova, in the fourth round, 2002 champion Serena Williams in the quarter-finals and compatriot Jelena Jankovic in the semis.

Top seed Maria Sharapova, the world number one since Henin retired, looks set to progress smoothly before a possible Russian steeplechase from the fourth round where she could meet Dinara Safina.

If she then survives a theoretical quarter-final with 2004 finalist Elena Dementieva, Sharapova could face fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.—Reuters