Beijing: Outgoing world No.1 Roger Federer faces a tricky Olympic opener against muscular Russian Dmitry Tursunov after the draw was made on Thursday.
But there should be no problems for Rafael Nadal, soon to replace Federer as the top men's player, who was matched against Potito Starace of Italy.
Top women's seed Ana Ivanovic starts against Ukraine's Mariya Koryttseva in the easier half of the draw where her sternest test looks to be a possible semi-final match-up with Serena Williams.
Second seed Jelena Jankovic opens against Cara Black of Zimbabwe but will keep close tabs on Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, her potential semi-final opponent.
Third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and fellow Russian Dinara Safina also lurk in the bottom half of the draw.
Federer's opponent Tursunov, ranked 35, won his fourth career tournament in Sydney this year and was runner-up in Indianapolis last month.
But Federer, who has made the Olympics one of his top priorities this season, will be familiar with his powerful game after they played a practice match here on Wednesday.
The Swiss star also holds a 2-0 career advantage over the Russian while Nadal has won all of his four meetings with Starace and and is yet to drop a set.
Nadal could meet former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt in the second round with Britain's Andy Murray a potential foe in the quarter-finals.
The winner of that tie could earn a semi with third-ranked Novak Djokovic. Fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko has a tough start against highly rated Latvian Ernests Gulbis.
Defending champion Nicolas Massu of Chile, currently ranked 125, received a kindly draw against Belgium's Steve Darcis.
Massu and Fernando Gonzalez will open the defence of their doubles crown against Marin Cilic and Ivan Ljubicic, with a likely second-round clash against Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka.
Nadal and Tommy Robredo are on a quarter-finals collision course with top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan, followed by a possible semi against Federer and Wawrinka or experienced Indian duo Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes.
Zheng Jie and Yan Zi, chasing China's second consecutive women's doubles gold, are in line for a daunting second-round assignment against Russian top seeds Safina and Kuznetsova.
Chinese women's singles hopes also received a setback when Li Na was handed an opener against Russian third seed Kuznetsova, while Wimbledon semi-finalist Zheng Jie has her work cut out against 11th-seeded Hungarian Agnes Szavay.
"Both the men's and women's fields are excellent, definitely the best ever and we look forward to an exciting tournament," said Juan Margets, executive vice-president of the International Tennis Federation.
The Olympic tennis tournament starts on Sunday and finishes a week later on August 17.
Next Page: The complete draw
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First round draws for the men's singles at the Beijing Olympics tennis tournament (x denotes seeded player):
Roger Federer (SUI x1) v Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)
Lee Hyung-Taik (KOR) v Rafael Arevalo (ESA)
Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Andreas Seppi (ITA)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) v Ivo Karlovic (CRO x14)
Gilles Simon (FRA x10) v Robin Soderling (SWE)
Frederic Niemeyer (CAN) v Guillermo Canas (ARG)
Thomaz Belluci (BRA) v Dominik Hrbaty (SVK)
Chris Guccione (AUS) v James Blake (USA x8)
Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x4) v Ernests Gulbis (LAT)
Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) v Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)
Komlavi Loglo (TOG) v Kevin Anderson (RSA)
Max Mirnyi (BLR) v Nicolas Kiefer (GER x15)
Fernando Gonzalez (CHI x12) v Sun Peng (CHN)
Marin Cilic (CRO) v Juan Monaco (ARG)
Olivier Rochus (BEL) v Ivo Minar (CZE)
Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) v David Ferrer (ESP x5)
David Nalbandian (ARG x7) v Zeng Shaoxuan (CHN)
Nicolas Massu (CHI) v Steve Darcis (BEL)
Simone Bolelli (ITA) v Victor Hanescu (ROM)
Gael Monfils (FRA) v Nicolas Almagro (ESP x11)
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x13) v Jiri Vanek (CZE)
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) v Thomas Johansson (SWE)
Rainer Schuettler (GER) v Kei Nishikori (JPN)
Robby Ginepri (USA) v Novak Djokovic (SRB x3)
Andy Murray (GBR x6) v Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE)
Agustin Calleri (ARG) v Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)
Marcos Daniel (BRA) v Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
Frank Dancevic (CAN) v Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x9)
Radek Stepanek (CZE x16) v Michael Llodra (FRA)
Sam Querry (USA) v Igor Andreev (RUS)
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) v Jonas Bjorkman (SWE)
Potito Starace (ITA) v Rafael Nadal (ESP x2)
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