Open-Champion Nadal handed easy draw in Paris

By Julien Pretot

PARIS (Reuters) – Defending champion Rafael Nadal was
handed a relatively easy draw at the French Open on Friday
while world number one Roger Federer faces a tough second week.

Spain’s Nadal, seeded second, will face Swede Robin
Soderling in the first round with a likely fourth round clash
against 14th seed Lleyton Hewitt, who is suffering from a foot
injury.

A victory over Soderling, who has not made it past the
third round on clay this season, would be Nadal’s 54th
consecutive win on the slow surface, breaking Argentine
Guillermo Vilas’s professional era record set in 1977.

At the top of the draw Federer takes on Frenchman Arnaud
Clement, who beat Nadal in February on the way to the Marseille
title, in the first round.

Nicolas Kiefer of Germany, the 13th seed, is his likely
opponent for a quarter-final spot.

However, the second quarter of the draw is tough, featuring
former champions Gaston Gaudio, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos
Moya plus Nikolay Davydenko, all of whom could test Federer as
the Swiss attempts to win the one grand slam crown to elude
him.

Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez is the most unfortunate seeded
player because the ninth seed will take on Russian Marat Safin,
a former world number one, in the first round.

TOUGH BATTLES AHEAD FOR HENIN

Briton Andy Murray takes on fellow teenager and local
favorite Gael Monfils in another enticing first round match.

In the women’s draw, world number one Amelie Mauresmo
should not be troubled until the quarter-finals when she faces
a possible match-up against 11th seed Venus Williams.

France’s Mauresmo, who has been an under-achiever on home
clay, will start against American Meghann Shaughnessy.

The 2006 edition of Roland Garros will be deprived of last
year’s finalist Mary Pierce who has pulled out through injury.

Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne, the defending women’s
champion who is seeded fifth this year, takes on Estonian Maret
Ani in the first round before starting an assault course of top
claycourters.

Henin faces a likely fourth-round match against 2004
champion Anastasia Myskina followed by a possible quarter-final
against another Russian, third seed Nadia Petrova, who has won
her last three claycourt tournaments.

In the semi-finals, she could play compatriot Kim Clijsters
if the 2003 finalist survives a possible match-up against
either Russian Elena Dementieva or Swiss Martina Hingis.

Former world number one Hingis has not played at Roland
Garros since a 6-4 6-3 defeat in the semi-final against
Jennifer Capriati in 2001.

She is seeded 12th this year and starts against American
Lisa Raymond after winning her first title, in Rome last
weekend, since returning from a three-year “retirement.”