Nadal faces Isner in first round of French Open

Defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal will begin his bid for a record-tying sixth title against John Isner.

“Always unforgettable memories, no? Seriously, just to be back to this tournament is a really special feeling,” Nadal said. “You remember a lot of things from the past years, so in general I feel a little bit like home.”

Second-ranked Novak Djokovic, who has won all 37 matches he’s played this season, will face Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands in the first round. Djokovic could face tests from 2010 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina or big-serving Ivo Karlovic of Croatia in the third round, and then No. 13 Richard Gasquet of France or No. 23 Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil in the fourth.

Australian Open champion Djokovic and Roger Federer were drawn to meet in the French Open semifinals. Nadal could meet No. 4 Andy Murray in the semifinals, while the Spaniard’s quarterfinal opponent could be No. 5 Robin Soderling, the only man to beat him at Roland Garros.

Federer’s first opponent is Feliciano Lopez of Spain. While Federer has beaten Lopez all eight times they’ve met previously, their most recent match was close as can be - Federer won 7-6 (13), 6-7 (1), 7-6 (7) in Madrid.

Potential women’s quarterfinals include No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki against 2010 runner-up Sam Stosur, four-time major champion Kim Clijsters against three-time major winner Maria Sharapova, No. 3 Vera Zvonareva against Schiavone, and No. 4 Victoria Azarenka against No. 6 Li Na.

Clijsters is at the French Open for the first time since 2006. Her first round opponent is Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus. Wozniacki opens against 40-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan.

According to the WTA, this is the first time in the Open era, which began in 1968, that there are no American women seeded at the French Open.