World number one Roger Federer [Images] will begin the pursuit of his second Australian Open crown next week against Uzbek wildcard Denis Istomin.

Friday's draw for the first Grand Slam of the tennis season also placed third-seeded Australian hope Lleyton Hewitt [Images] in Federer's half of the field, setting up a potentially explosive semi-final.

The Melbourne slam kicks off on Monday, running from January 16 to 29.

"I have never heard of him so I can't tell you one thing about him," Federer told reporters after hearing of his first round match against 195th-ranked Istomin.

"It could be good or could be bad -- we'll find out soon."

The women's top seed Lindsay Davenport [Images] will play Australian wildcard Casey Dellacqua in her first round and faces a tough path after being drawn in the same quarter as both Venus Williams [Images] and Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Former world number one Henin-Hardenne is fast emerging as the most dangerous player in the draw after blasting her way to the Sydney International final.

Defending champion and 13th seed Serena Williams [Images] will meet Na Li of China and is scheduled to meet fourth seed Maria Sharapova [Images] in the fourth round.

The pair met in an epic semi-final in 2005, with Sharapova serving for the match in the second and third sets and holding three match points in the third before Serena won 2-6, 7-5, 8-6 and then beat Davenport in the final.

RISING TALENT

Sharapova has been drawn to meet Germany's [Images] Sandra Kloesel in the first round.

World number four Hewitt will play Czech Republic's Robin Vik in his first match.

Hewitt, who was knocked out of the Sydney International by Italy's [Images] Andreas Seppi on Thursday, could face a difficult second round opponent in Melbourne in either rising British talent Andy Murray or Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela.

American Andy Roddick [Images], seeded second, has been drawn against a qualifier and is in the same half as Croatia's Davis Cup winner and world number nine Ivan Ljubicic, who will meet Australia's Chris Guccione in the first round.

Roddick refused to look beyond his first round clash and the fact he would not play Federer or Hewitt until the final.

"I don't know if I can think that far ahead, you kind of have to take them as they come," he told reporters at the Kooyong Classic invitational tournament.

"I think it would be a little bit arrogant of me to think ahead to the last four already. Right now, I'm just focused on my first round."

Germany's Tommy Haas, who beat Federer on Wednesday at Kooyong, is in the same quarter of the draw as the Swiss and will play 14th seed Richard Gasquet of France [Images] first up.

World number five David Nalbandian, who beat Federer in the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai last year, will meet a qualifier in the first round.

Former women's world number one Martina Hingis [Images], making a return to tennis after foot and ankle injuries forced her to retire in 2002, has been granted a wildcard for the year's first Grand Slam and is drawn against 30th seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia [Images].

World number two Kim Clijsters [Images], who suffered a hip muscle injury at the Sydney tournament, has been drawn against South Korea's Cho Yoon-jeong and is scheduled to meet French third seed Amelie Mauresmo in the semi-finals.

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