AFP/Ian Kingtonview photoLONDON (AFP) - Rafael Nadal will begin the defence of his Wimbledon title against France's Arnaud Clement if the world number one decides his knees can take the strain.
Nadal was forced to pull out of last week's pre-Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen's due to knee tendinitis and he is set to make a decision on his participation after playing an exhibition match against Stanislas Wawrinka at London's Hurlingham Club on Friday.
The Spaniard, who defeated Roger Federer in an epic five-set final last year, could play Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion, in the second round.
Nadal could face Russia's Dmitry Tursunov in the third round and David Ferrer or Radek StepanekAndy Roddick and a meeting with world number three Andy Murray in the semi-finals. in the fourth round, followed by a potential quarter-final against two-time finalist
Nadal is far from certain to play however after looking uncomfortable during an exhibition against Hewitt on Thursday.
His uncle Toni Nadal, who also acts as his coach, said: "It is not too good. We will see if he is going to play or not. At the moment it is difficult to play because his knees are not too good. It is difficult to get down to low balls."
Murray's attempt to become the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936 will start against America's Robert Kendrick.
Murray, the third seed, won his first grass-court tournament at Queen's last week and has won all three of his meetings with world number 76 Kendrick.
The first seed Murray could play is Serbia's Viktor Troicki in the third round followed by a potential fourth round clash against former world number one Marat Safin. France's Gilles Simon, the eighth seed, could lie in wait in the last eight.
Elsewhere in Friday's draw, Federer, the second seed and five-time champion, was handed a first round clash against Chinese number one Lu Yen-hsun.
Federer, fresh from his first French Open triumph, is due to Robin Soderling, who he beat in the Roland Garros final, in the fourth round, Fernando Verdasco in the last eight and Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.
Djokovic, the fourth seed, opens against France's Julien Benneteau and is seeded to face Spain's Tommy Robredo in the fourth round and Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro in the quarter-finals.
In the women's draw, the reigning champion Venus Williams, seeded third, has been drawn in the same half as the world number one and top seed Dinara Safina.
Venus will play Switzerland's Stefanie Voegele first, while sister Serena takes on qualifier Neuza Silva.
Safina, who opens against Lourdes Dominguez Lino, has a potential showdown with Nicole Vaidisova in the second round and could play Amelie Mauresmo, the 2006 champion, in the fourth round.
The Russian is due to play French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the last eight and Venus in the semi-finals.
Venus, aiming for a third successive Wimbledon title, could face Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round and Jelena Jankovic, another Serb, in the quarter-finals.
Serena, a two-time champion, could face China's Zheng Jie, who she beat in last year's semi-finals, in the fourth round and Victoria Azarenka in the last eight before a potential semi-final against fourth seeded Russian Elena Dementieva.
Maria Sharapova, the 2004 champion, has drawn qualifier Viktoriya Kutuzova in the first round. Kuznetsova's first match will be against Japan's Akiko Morigami.
Britain's 15-year-old Laura Robson, who will become the youngest player in the womens singles since Martina Hingis in 1995, faces Daniella Hantuchova.
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