By Julien Pretot
PARIS (Reuters) - World number one Rafael Nadal faces a potentially treacherous task in his bid to win a fifth consecutive French Open title following Friday's draw for the tournament starting on Sunday.
The top seed, unbeaten at Roland Garros since his debut in 2005, is in the same half of the draw as Briton Andy Murray and Spanish eighth seed Fernando Verdasco, who gave him a rough time in the Australian Open semi-finals.
Following a first-round match against a qualifier, the Spaniard could meet former world number one Lleyton Hewitt and compatriot David Ferrer before a possible quarter-final match against Verdasco or twice French Open semi-finalist Nikolay Davydenko of Russia.
Third-seeded Murray starts his bid for a first grand slam title against Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela.
Swiss second seed Roger Federer, chasing the only grand slam title to have eluded him, faces Spaniard Alberto Martin en route to a possible fourth consecutive final with Nadal, whom he beat in the Madrid Masters final earlier this month.
Federer has a possible quarter-final encounter against American sixth seed Andy Roddick, beaten in Madrid in their only claycourt meeting in 20 duels.
One of the highlights of Federer's campaign could be a semi-final with world number four Novak Djokovic of Serbia who, following a first-round match against Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti, is looking at a quarter-final clash with Argentine Juan Martin del Potro.
French veteran Fabrice Santoro, playing his last French Open and a record 67th grand slam, takes on Belgium's Christophe Rochus in a possibly spectacular match.
STRAPPED KNEE
In the women's draw, world number one Dinara Safina's path looks smooth until a possible quarter-final clash with holder Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, her executioner in last year's final.
Russian Safina, chasing her first grand slam title, will start her campaign against unheralded Anne Keothavong of Britain.
She could then face compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, seeded 27th, in the third round and Chinese 15th seed Zheng Jie in the fourth round.
Eighth seed Ivanovic, who has won only two matches on clay this season and is just back from a knee injury, could have to deal with Belarus's Victoria Azarenka, seeded ninth, in the fourth round.
"I'm fine. I've been practising the last week, and I feel fit to play," Ivanovic told reporters. She was then spotted having her right knee strapped while practising on centre court.
Second seed Serena Williams, who has yet to win a match on clay this season, looks set to progress smoothly before a potential quarter-final against Russian seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.
An all-Russian semi-final is then a possibility if fourth seed Elena Dementieva survives a theoretical quarter-final against Serbian fifth seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia.
Russian Maria Sharapova, back from an nine-month injury layoff, faces Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus in the first round.
A year after entering the Paris tournament as world number one, she will start her campaign unseeded and could take on compatriot Nadia Petrova, seeded 11th, in the second round.
(Editing by Clare Fallon)