By IANS
Wimbledon : Roger Federer's quest for five consecutive Wimbledon titles begins on the Centre Court Monday, when he takes on Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili.
After Friday's draw, it may look a less than demanding start for Federer because the 22-year-old Gabashvili is raw in Grand Slam experience. Gabashvili will be making his debut in the championships and although he did play in the French Open last month, he had to retire in his first round match against Flavio Cipolla of Italy.
Federer will be the first leading player to experience the Centre Court at Wimbledon minus its roof and can look ahead to a demanding test of his skills as the tournament progresses.
Marat Safin, the former US and Australian Open champion whose best Wimbledon was in 2001 when he was a quarter-finalist, should be Federer's third round opponent.
Tommy Haas of Germany, seeded tenth, is likely to be in line for the fourth round followed by fifth seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in the quarter-finals.
Third seed Andy Roddick, who has lost in two Wimbledon finals to Federer, begins against fellow American Justin Gimelstob and has the British number one Andy Murray, seeded eighth, in his half of the draw.
Murray – who has still to decide whether he will be able to compete because of wrist injury – beat Roddick at Wimbledon last year. Should they meet again this year, it would only be at the quarter-final stage.
Murray is scheduled to begin against Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador who is playing at Wimbledon for the eighth time.
Second seed Rafael Nadal, who won his third successive French Open title earlier this month, begins his challenge against the world number 36 Mardy Fish of the US, who has twice been in the third round at Wimbledon.
Fellow Spaniard, Tommy Robredo should be Nadal's fourth round opponent but it is the seventh-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych, in his fourth Wimbledon, who could present problems to Nadal in the quarter-finals. Berdych, 21, had his best Wimbledon last year when he was beaten by Federer in the fourth round.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic, in his highest seeded place, fourth, is in line to play Nadal at the semi-final stage having been beaten by the Spaniard at the same stage of the French Open. Djokovic has the prospect of the heavy serving Croat Ivo Karlovic in the third round.
Australian Lleyton Hewitt, winner in 2002 and the only other champion in the draw apart from Federer, is seeded 16 and is in the same half of the draw as Nadal. Hewitt opens against the British wildcard entry Richard Bloomfield.
For British fans there is an intriguing prospect of a third round match between Andy Murray and Tim Henman, the former British number one who has played in four semi-finals at Wimbledon.
Henman opens with a difficult match against Spain's 25th seeded Carlos Moya, a former French Open champion, who has beaten him five times in nine matches. But this will be their first meeting on grass.