Sport

Federer faces tough opener

WIMBLEDON: Three-time defending champion Roger Federer faces a grass-court rematch against Richard Gasquet in the first round on Monday at Wimbledon.

And four-time Wimbledon semifinalist Tim Henman looms as a potential second-round opponent.

The draw held on Friday at the All England Club pitted Henman against Robin Soderling in the opening round. Henman is unseeded for the first time in 10 years because his ranking has fallen to 62nd.

No. 2-seeded Rafael Nadal faces a potential third-round match against No. 25 Andre Agassi, playing at Wimbledon for the first time in three years. Agassi, who has played only one match since mid-March because of a back injury, drew as a first-round opponent Boris Pashanski, ranked 69th and making his Wimbledon debut.

Defending women's champion Venus Williams, seeded sixth, will open against fellow American Bethanie Mattek. No. 12-seeded Martina Hingis, who won the tournament at 16 in 1997, will play her first match at Wimbledon since 2001 when she faces Olga Savchuk.

Tough for Sania

Sania Mirza was handed a tough Wimbledon draw that pits the Hyderabadi teenager against seventh seeded Russian Elena Dementieva in the first round of the singles event.

The Indian, who has been struggling to defend her points in her second full WTA season, has had an average outing this year and reaching the third round in the DFS Classic in Birmingham has been the best show so far.

Sania partners Michaella Krajicek in women's doubles and the Indo-Dutch duo faces Stephanie Foretz of France and Antonella Serra Zanetti of Italy in the first round.

In men's doubles, seventh seeds Leander Paes and his Czech comrade-in-arms Martin Damm face the seeded Serbian-Russian pair of Janko Tipsarevic and Mikhail Youzhny.

Compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi and his German team mate Alexander Waske, seeded 13th, meet unseeded pair of Frederic Niemeyer (Canada) and Glenn Weiner (USA) in another first round match. — AP, UNI

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