Hartfield vs. Federer in Australia opener

MELBOURNE, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Diego Hartfield, ranked 106th in the world, is the first hurdle in Roger Federer's quest for a third consecutive Australian Open championship.

The draw for the 2008 Australian Open -- the first Grand Slam event of the tennis season -- was announced Friday. Federer, the world's No. 1 player, drew Hartfield in the first round. They have met once before with Federer claiming a straight-set win in the 2006 French Open.

Federer could face seventh-seeded Fernando Gonzalez, whom he beat for the Australian title last year, in the quarterfinals.

Other key players in the top half of the draw include third-seeded Novak Djokovic, fifth-seeded David Ferrer and Lleyton Hewitt, who is trying to be the first native son to win the Australian Open in 32 years.

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal, who beat Federer in one Grand Slam final last year and lost to him in another, is the top of the lower half of the draw.

Possible matchups in that half of the bracket include quarterfinals pitting Nadal against sixth-seeded Andy Roddick and fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko versus eighth-seeded Richard Gasquet.