Federer given tricky draw in quest for 16th slam

Roger Federer faces a challenging path if he is to extend his record grand slam haul to 16 at the Australian Open, beginning his campaign next week with a first round test against Russian Igor Andreev.

In their last meeting, 36th-ranked Andreev took Federer to five sets at the 2008 US Open and should the Swiss continue his march to the fourth round, local hope Lleyton Hewitt or 15th-seeded Gilles Simon could block his path to the quarter-finals.

Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who the world number one defeated for the 2006 title, also looms as a possible fourth-round opponent, ahead of a potential quarter-final against in-form Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

Rafa Nadal has a much smoother route to the last eight as he sets out to defend the title he claimed in a five-set thriller against Federer a year ago.

The Mallorcan was paired with Australian Peter Luczak when the draw was made yesterday but may face a third-round hurdle against big-serving American John Isner, who knocked Andy Roddick out of the US Open last year.

In the women's draw, four-times champion and top seed Serena Williams opens against Poland's Urszula Radwanska to start what appears to be a relatively trouble-free run to the quarter-finals.

However, Russian fifth seed Elena Dementieva will need to be on her best form early on if she hopes to match or improve on her semi-final run last year after being dealt a possible second-round encounter with former no.1 Justine Henin.

The Belgian reached the Brisbane International final earlier this month in her first tournament back from retirement and should have too many weapons for compatriot and first-round opponent Kirsten Flipkens.

Should she continue through the tournament, Henin could set up a mouth-watering quarter-final against either French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova or fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters.

Clijsters, who needed three sets to subdue Henin in Brisbane, has drawn a qualifier in the first round.

Fifth seed Andy Murray, who carries Britain's hopes of ending a 74-year wait for a men's grand slam champion, will also play a qualifier in the first round but faces a potential quarter-final showdown with Nadal.

The final draw will be released after qualifying wraps up this weekend. The Australian Open starts on Monday.