Wimbledon draw: Andy Murray to open against French veteran Santoro

BRITISH number one Andy Murray was handed a relatively kind draw for Wimbledon today.

Murray – who missed the prestigious grand slam tournament last year because of a wrist injury and has recovered from a thumb problem which forced him out of the Artois Championship at Queen's – will take on Fabrice Santoro of France in the first round.

The 21-year-old Scot, ranked 11 in the world, could then face Xavier Malisse, the Belgian wild card who has been struggling with injury this season with possibly meet 23rd seed Tommy Robredo in round three.

Murray was fortunate to avoid two-time Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick, who is also in the bottom half of the draw, and if all goes to plan could line up against Frenchman Richard Gasquet – a 2007 semi-finalist – in the fourth round.

Murray, seeded 12, has never progressed into the last eight of a Grand Slam, and would face world number two Nadal, if all matches went to form.

Spanish ace Nadal – runner-up to Roger Federer in the last two years at Wimbledon – faced Murray in the ATP Masters Series event on clay in Hamburg during May and won in straight sets.

Nadal will take on German qualifier Andreas Beck as the Artois champion looks to break Federer's hold on the lush lawns of SW19.

Federer, seeking a sixth straight title, is the top seed in the men's singles and will face Dominik Hrbaty in the first round.

The Slovakian, ranked 272, has a perfect record against the Swiss player, but has not played him on grass and their last meeting was back in 2004.

Should Federer progress, as expected, he could come up against Lleyton Hewitt in round four – the last man to win Wimbledon before the Swiss began his dominance.

Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic is seeded third and will play Michael Berrer, of Germany. The Serbian is in the top half of the draw and as such in line for a potential semi-final showdown with Federer.

There is other British interest in the men's singles, with Alex Bogdanovic set to face Italian Simone Bolelli.

Qualifier Chris Eaton has been drawn in the first round against Boris

Pashanski of Serbia. If he gets through, the Surrey player could well face a tough test against Nicolas Mahut, who reached the final at Queen's in 2007.

Wild card James Baker will take on Italy's Stefano Galvani, who came through qualifying.

In the women's singles, Britain's Naomi Cavaday, a wild card, was handed a glamour first-round tie against defending women's champion Venus Williams, the seventh seed.

Serbia's Ana Ivanovic, winner of the French Open at Roland Garros and current world number one, is the top seed and faces Rossana De Los Rio of Paraguay in the first round at SW19.

Former champion Serena Williams is also in the top half of the women's draw and could set up a semi-final showdown with Ivanovic.