Nadal aims to clear Kendrick hurdle
(Reuters)Updated: 2007-01-16 09:13
Rafael Nadal will begin his quest to win a first grand slam crown outside Roland Garros when he faces Robert Kendrick in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
The double French Open champion has declared himself fit
after picking up a thigh strain last week and will need to be on guard against
Kendrick even though the American is ranked 88 places below him.
The last time the duo met, in the second round at Wimbledon in 2006, the Mallorcan with bulging biceps was pounded into almost submission for the first two sets before he eventually raised himself off the floor to win in five.
Briton Andy Murray, on course to meet second seed Nadal in the fourth round, will be in action against Spain's Alberto Martin.
An under-prepared Lleyton Hewitt faces American qualifier Michael Russell as he begins his annual task of shouldering Australia's hopes for a first men's title since 1976.
The 19th seed's build-up has been beset by problems, with coach Roger Rasheed severing their ties just days before the Open and a calf strain adding to his woes.
It will be a case of deja vu for fifth seed James Blake and Carlos Moya as they will do battle for the second time in three days.
Blake beat former French Open winner Moya in a thrilling contest at the Sydney International final on Saturday and will be hoping for a similar result when the pair meet for the 10th time. Moya leads their head-to-heads 5-4 but Blake has won their last four clashes.
In the women's draw, U.S. Open champion and top seed Maria Sharapova will begin her charge to win the only major to have eluded the Russian women when she faces France's Camille Pin.
Kim Clijsters will start her farewell Open against little-known but in-form Russian Vasilisa Bardina and her projected quarter-final opponent, Martina Hingis, could be in for a tricky outing against experienced Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy.
There is likely to be a heavy security presence at the match between Serbia's Ilia Bozoljac and Croatian Marin Cilic after about 150 fans were ejected on Monday following brawls between Croatian and Serbian supporters.
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