Roger Federer gained an early psychological edge in his eagerly awaited French Open duel against Rafael Nadal when he enjoyed the lion’s share of fortune in Friday’s draw.
The world number one, bidding to become the first man in 37 years to hold all four Grand Slam titles, was handed a comfortable-looking passage to the quarterfinals.
In contrast, defending champion Nadal faces potential minefields at every turn.
Swiss star Federer will face French veteran Arnaud Clement in the first round, with his first tricky assignment possibly coming in the third round where he could face Olympic champion Nicolas Massu of Chile.
Nicolas Keifer, the 13th seed, is a possible fourth-round opponent, but the German has won just three of his 11 meetings against Federer, with his last win coming back in 2002.
Tommy Robredo, the seventh seeded Spaniard, could be waiting in the quarterfinals, where he will be buoyed by his victory in the Hamburg Masters last weekend.
However, the Spaniard has lost all his six career clashes against Federer.
Nadal will face Sweden’s Robin Soderling in the first round, where victory would hand him a record 54th successive triumph on clay.
But the Spanish teenager, who has proved to be Federer’s nemesis with five wins in their six career meetings, could face Australia’s former world number one Lleyton Hewitt in the fourth round.
If he gets through that, there is a host of dangerous-looking quarterfinal opponents possibly standing in his way.
Big-hitting Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, the ninth seed, is also in Nadal’s section of the draw.
Gonzalez takes on Russia’s former world number one Marat Safin in the first round.
Nadal’s section also features compatriot Nicolas Almagro, who won the Valencia clay-court tournament this year, as well as German veterans Tommy Haas and Rainer Schuettler.
Fellow promising teenagers Gael Monfils of France and Andy Murray of Great Britain, who meet in the first round, are also in Nadal’s path, as is Serbian 19-year-old Novak Djokovic.
Third seeded Argentinian David Nalbandian, the Masters Cup champion, starts against Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka and is seeded to meet Federer in the last four.
Women’s top seed Amelie Mauresmo of France, the Australian Open champion, begins her campaign against America’s Meghann Shaughnessy, with Wimbledon champion Venus Williams a possible last eight opponent.
Williams meets Austria’s Sybille Bammer in the first round.
Second seed Kim Clijsters of Belgium faces France’s Virginie Razzano in her first-round match and could take on Martina Hingis in the fourth round.
Swiss Hingis, the 12th seed and the runner-up in 1997 and 1999, is playing her first Roland Garros for five years.
She faces America’s Lisa Raymond in the first round.
Third-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova faces Japan’s Akiko Morigami while fourth-seed Maria Sharapova starts against the United States’s Mashona Washington.
Defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium, the fifth seed, faces Estonia’s Maret Ani in her opener.
France’s Mary Pierce, the 1995 champion and a runner-up in 2005, pulled out of the tournament on Friday with a right-foot injury.
The action at Roland Garros gets underway on Sunday. — AFP
