Six-times champion Federer, the third seed, starts his
campaign against Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin, and has been drawn in the same
half as world No. 2 Novak Djokovic whose 41-match winning streak was broken by
the Swiss this month.
The Serb could face Federer in the last four, weeks after
the former world No.1 beat him in the French Open semi-finals to inflict his
first defeat of the year.
Had Djokovic won that match, he would have ousted Nadal from
the No.1 spot but instead the Spaniard arrives at the All England Club with his
top ranking in tact as he seeks a third Wimbledon crown.
Djokovic takes on France's Jeremy Chardy in the first round,
while Nadal's potential semi-final opponent Andy Murray opens his campaign
against Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver.
Home favorite Murray, the fourth seed, warmed up for the
tournament with victory at the Queen's Club grasscourt event, heightening
public expectations of a first British men's grand slam champion since 1936.
The first-round limelight could be stolen by American John
Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, who have been drawn against each other a
year after their epic 11-hour battle in the same round, the longest ever tennis
match.
"Isner vs Mahut drawing each other in the first round
after last year is the most amazing thing I've seen in tennis!" Murray
tweeted.
In the women's singles, champion Serena Williams was drawn
in the opposite side of the draw to her sister and five-times champion Venus
but in the same half as world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and another
pre-tournament favorite Maria Sharapova.
Serena, seeded seventh after being sidelined for almost a
year because of life-threatening blood clots on a lung as well as a foot
injury, takes on France's Aravane Rezai in the first round of what could be a
tricky draw for her.
Wozniacki, seeking a maiden grand slam title, has a
straightforward-looking opening match against world No. 107 Arantxa Parra
Santonja but danger lurks in the shape of Sharapova.
The Russian 2004 champion, who reached the French Open
semi-finals this month after returning to some of her best form after two years
of struggling with a shoulder injury, is seeded fifth and could meet Wozniacki
in the quarterfinals.
French Open champion Li Na of China, who became the first
Asian player to win a grand slam title this month, is also in Serena's half of
the draw and faces Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva in round one.
Venus, back from an injury layoff, could pose an early
threat to last year's runner-up Vera Zvonareva and the American knows how to
win from a lower seeding having triumphed in 2007 as the 23rd seed, the same as
she is this time.
