Federer to open against Gasquet

Roger Federer faces a difficult start to the defence of his Wimbledon title after he was drawn to face Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the first round on Friday.

The Swiss triple defending champion needs to beat the talented 20-year-old to break Bjorn Borg's professional era record of 41 consecutive wins on grass.

Belgian Kim Clijsters, the women's second seed, also faces a tricky opener against Vera Zvonareva. The Russian won the Edgbaston warmup event last weekend.

Federer needed three sets to beat Gasquet, who is ranked 66, at Halle last week and the Frenchman beat the world number one at the claycourt Monte Carlo Masters in 2005.

The top seed faces a potential second round match against four-times semi-finalist Tim Henman, if the Briton overcomes Swede Robin Soderling in their opening match.

French Open champion Rafael Nadal, the second seed, plays British wild card Alex Bogdanovic while American third seed Andy Roddick takes on Serbian Janko Tipsarevic.

Roddick, runner-up the past two years, is in line for a potential quarter-final against Australian Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion. Sixth seed Hewitt drew Italian Filippo Volandri in round one.

American Andre Agassi, possibly making his final appearance at the grasscourt grand slam which he won in 1992, plays Serbian Boris Pashanski.

SHARAPOVA TASK

Briton Greg Rusedski landed former world number one Marat Safin of Russia while Rusedski's compatriot Andy Murray faces Chile's Olympic champion Nicolas Massu.

Defending women's champion Venus Williams plays fellow American Bethanie Mattek in round one and could face top seed Amelie Mauresmo in the last eight.

Frenchwoman Mauresmo opens her bid for a first Wimbledon title against Croatian qualifier Ivana Abramovic.

Switzerland's Martina Hingis, the 1997 champion, plays her first match at Wimbledon since 2001 against Ukraine's Olga Savchuk.

Hingis is in line for a quarter-final with French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne. The Belgian, who lost in the first round last year, plays China's Meng Yuan in her opening match.

Russia's 2004 champion Maria Sharapova has a testing opener against Israel's Anna Smashnova. Another Russian, seventh seed, Elena Dementieva, will also have her work cut out against Indian Sania Mirza.