Nadal faces tricky path to grand slam sweep

Rafa Nadal will take on Marcos Daniel in his first round of the Australian Open but faces a rocky path in his bid to become the first man to hold all four grand slam crowns simultaneously since Rod Laver in 1969.

The Spanish world number one faces a potentially tricky third-round hurdle against 31^st-seeded countryman Feliciano Lopez or big-serving 20^th seed American John Isner.

Nadal could then line up a possible fourth round encounter with 15^th seed Marin Cilic of Croatia, a semi-finalist last year. Defending champion Roger Federer, bidding for a record fifth Australian Open title, has a more favourable path, playing world number 99 Lukas Lacko of Slovakia in the first round, with 12^th-ranked Gael Monfils of France a possible fourth-round opponent.

Should Federer survive that, the Swiss world number two may face former U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals. Fifth seed Andy Murray, who carries Britain’s hopes of ending a 75-year wait for a men’s grand slam champion, should have little trouble negotiating his way past 104^th-ranked Slovak Karol Beck in the first round.

But the much-improved Jurgen Melzer of Austria or former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis may await in the third round, before the possibility of a mouthwatering quarter-final clash with Swede Robin Soderling.

Novak Djokovic, the 2008 champion, should be happy with the draw, and shouldn’t face his first real test until the fourth round against 14^th-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.

“In my mind (Nadal and Federer) are pretty far clear, but as you saw at Wimbledon for example Berdych played extremely well and came to the finals, but yet it was Rafa who won,” former two-time Australian Open champion Ivan Lendl said.

“It’s one thing to get to the semis or to the finals, and it’s another thing then to make the final step, because it takes experience as well.”

Safina First

In the women’s draw, with Serena Williams injured, top seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark has a good chance of winning her maiden grand slam and will play 48^th-ranked Gisela Dulko of Argentina in the first round.

Former Wimbledon finalists Mario Bartoli could pose problems in the fourth round for Wozniacki, however, before a likely a quarter-final against last year’s finalist Justine Henin or French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.

Belgian third seed Kim Clijsters faces a danger match against former world number one Dinara Safina of Russia in her opening round, on the way to a potential fourth round clash against another former top-ranked player in Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic.

Second seed Vera Zvonareva has a first round match against 70^th-ranked Austrian Sybille Bammer on the way to a possible quarter-final crunch match against local hope and fifth seed Sam Stosur.

The final draw will be released after qualifying wraps up this weekend.

The Australian Open starts on Monday.