Tough task ahead of Kuerten

Paris, May 27: Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil gets the defence of his French Open title off to a tough start with a match against up-and-coming Argentinian Guillermo Coria.

The draw made by France’s World Cup-winning football manager Aime Jacquet threw up the Kuerten-Coria clash as the match of the round.

The 24-year-old Kuerten, a two-time winner at Roland Garros, has been in fine form on clay this year, but he did lose his last match in the first round in Hamburg against Max Mirnyi of Belarus. Coria is one of the most promising players in the world and is currently at 13 in the ATP champions race. He had been regarded as one of the most dangerous non-seeded floaters in the tournament.

There is danger also for 1999 winner and current world No. 1 Andre Agassi, the American has drawn Sweden’s Thomas Johansson who currently sits 24th in the champions race.

Second seed Marat Safin, showing some signs in Dusseldorf this week that he is finally returning to form after a bad back injury, looks to have a comfortable start against Austrian Markus Hipfl.

Australian sixth seed Lleyton Hewitt should have little trouble against young Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu.

Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero, the best player in the clay court season so far, looks too strong for Stefan Koubek, while Britain’s Tim Henman will face a qualifier.

Pete Sampras, in what could be one of his last efforts at winning the one Grand Slam event that has eluded him in his stellar career, has also drawn a qualifier. Another top first-round tie will see the youngster many see as the next player to inherit the Sampras/Agassi mantle as top American player, Andy Roddick, go up against experienced compatriot Scott Draper.

The 18-year-old Roddick has won his last two tournaments both played on American soil.

If the seedings hold up, as they seldom do at Roland Garros, the semi-finals would likely feature Kuerten and Ferrero, and Agassi and Safin.

Top seed Martina Hingis of Switzerland got the toughest match among the favourites when she was pitted against Spain’s Gala Leon Garcia.

Davenport withdraws: Lindsay Davenport pulled out of the French Open on Sunday because of an injury to her right knee. It will be the first Grand Slam she has missed since Wimbledon in 1992.

Earlier, title-holder Mary Pierce has pulled out with an injury as has the sixth-seeded Monica Seles of the United States, a three-times former winner.