Stern tests await Djokovic,Nadal

Britains Andy Murray,seeded fourth,has a relatively easy draw,taking on qualifiers in the two opening rounds

Novak Djokovics route to a maiden Roland Garros title and the number one ranking could be a hazardous one following Fridays draw for the French Open which starts on Sunday.

The Serbian second seed,unbeaten in 37 matches this season,is favourite to face five-times champion and top seed Rafael Nadal in the final on June 5 but will have to keep his guard up. Following a first round match against talented Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker,Djokovic could face Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in the third round and Frances Richard Gasquet in the fourth.

World number 27 Del Potro,a Roland Garros semi-finalist and US Open champion in 2009,is battling back up the rankings after a long-term wrist injury and is hoping to be fully recovered from a torn hip muscle that forced him to withdraw from the Madrid Masters earlier this month. The dangerous Gasquet,meanwhile,has been rediscovering his touch,beating 2009 French Open champion Roger Federer in the Rome Masters.

Nadal,whose only loss at Roland Garros came in 2009 when he slumped to a fourth-round defeat by Robin Soderling,will start his campaign against big-serving American John Isner and could play Swede Soderling in the quarter-finals. Rafa,you may have problems because the competition is very strong this year,especially with Novak Djokovic, French federation president Jean Gachassin said.

World number three Federer,with just one title this year in Doha,will be in a high-risk first round encounter against Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. Britains Andy Murray,seeded fourth,has a relatively easy draw,taking on qualifiers in the two opening rounds.

Sharapova favourite

In the womens draw,world number one Caroline Wozniacki,chasing her first Grand Slam title,will take on Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm. Seventh seed Maria Sharapova could play former world number one and second seed Kim Clijsters in the last eight. Holder Francesca Schiavone of Italy,seeded fifth,is projected to face Serbias Jelena Jankovic in the fourth round. Schiavone and Stosur are both in the top half of the draw.