MATCH-UPS AT THE OZ

Seeking a seventh consecutive appearance in a Grand Slam final, Roger Federer would be happy after seeing the Australian Open draw released Thursday. The World No. 1 and two-time Australian Open champion plays German Bjorn Phau in the first round and the winner of Swedish veteran Jonas Bjorkman and Frenchman Olivier Patience in the second round.

Russian Mikhail Youzhny, a US Open semifinalist last year, is a potential third-round opponent, with 14th seed and fast-rising Serb teenager Novak Djokovic a possible fourth-round foe.

Federer has won eight of his nine Grand Slam titles during the past three seasons and has reached the semifinals or better in his past 10 Grand Slam outings.

Second seed Rafael Nadal, who missed last year's Australian Open with a left foot injury, meets American Robert Kendrick in the first round. The big-serving Kendrick led Nadal two sets to love at Wimbledon last year. The Spaniard could meet 19-year-old Scot Andy Murray in the fourth round. If he reaches the quarterfinals Nadal will likely face either 2005 finalist and hometown favorite Lleyton Hewitt, No. 5 seed James Blake or 1997 finalist Carlos Moya.

In a rough first-round match for Blake, the Tennis Masters Cup finalist has drawn Moya, who at No. 44 in the ATP Rankings is unseeded in Melbourne.

Flamboyant Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who won over fans at Melbourne Park last year with his stunning run to the final, could meet Federer in the quarterfinals. Seeded 11th, Baghdatis opens against fellow former Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuettler, with possible meetings with young Frenchmen Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet in the second and third rounds, and possibly seventh-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the fourth round.

Fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic opens against American Mardy Fish and, based on the draw, would like his chances of advancing to the quarterfinals, where his likely opponent would be either No. 9 seed Mario Ancic, No. 6 seed Andy Roddick or 2005 champion Marat Safin.

Roddick and Safin are tied at 3-3 in career meetings, with Safin winning their only match-up during the past two years - on clay in last year's Davis Cup semifinals. Roddick opens against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Safin meets big-serving German Benjamin Becker in the first round.

Roddick, the two-time Australian Open semifinalist, may play the tournament without coach Jimmy Connors, who is mourning the death of his mother, Gloria, in the USA.

Eighth seed David Nalbandian faces Serb Janko Tipsarevic in the first round but may not face his first true test until the fourth round, where he is seeded to meet German Tommy Haas.

Third seed Nikolay Davydenko opens against Argentine Sergio Roitman and could meet Davis Cup team mate Dmitry Tursunov, seeded No.21, in the third round.