Big shots ready for Henman

Tim Henman will have to beat Andy Roddick and French Open champion Rafael Nadal if he is to make his first ever Wimbledon final.

The British No1 was today given a first-round Wimbledon clash with world No70 Jarkko Nieminen of Finland.

Although Henman knows today's draw should ensure his smooth passage to the next round, his path to the final after that becomes more difficult.

He could face a last-16 meeting with Frenchman Sebastien Grossjean, who beat him in the 2003 quarter finals, and will have to beat Roddick in the last eight and Nadal in the semi-finals if he is to get the chance to claim Roger Federer's title.

Federer, the No1 seed who has won Wimbledon for the last two years, starts the defence of his crown against another Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu. Roddick, meanwhile, opens against Jiri Vanek.

In the women's singles, defending champion Maria Sharapova will play Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives and No1 seed Lindsay Davenport plays Alina Jidkova.