Women's First Round Draw Preview

Anne Keothavong's maiden appearance at Roland Garros could be a brief one after she was paired with Dinara Safina.

The British number one has been in great form this week, progressing through to the semi-finals of the Warsaw Open - the first time a British woman has reached the last four of a clay-court event for 26 years.

She lost in straight sets to Alona Bondarenko in the last four today but it represents a massive step forward for the Londoner on the dirt and she will head to Paris in confident mood.

Keothavong will have her work cut out if she wants to make the second round at Roland Garros, though.

Russia's Safina, the top seed, was runner-up to Ana Ivanovic here last year and has won clay-court events in Rome and Madrid this month.

The 23-year-old is most people's favourite to take the title, but she said: "I'm not even listening what everyone is saying.

"I'm just focusing on myself, taking it one day at a time and not thinking about what I want to happen in 14, 15 or 16 days.

"I think I'm handling it well. Since I became number one, I've reached one final and then won two tournaments so I'm not dealing with it that badly."

Of her match against Keothavong, Safina added: "I know her, we played in juniors in the semi-finals at Wimbledon. But it was a long time ago.

"I think she's playing some good tennis and I know she made the semi-finals in Warsaw. But she will have less days off than me.

"I'm looking forward to meeting her."

Serbia's Ivanovic, seeded eight this year, will play Sara Errani of Italy first up and is in the same quarter of the draw as Safina.

Roland Garros holds a special place in Ivanovic's heart after last year's success, so far the only grand-slam title of her career, but a knee injury almost scuppered her hopes of defending the title.

"I had a few problems with my knee in Rome and then I had to take some time off and have some scans and visits to the doctor," she said.

"But I'm fine. I've been practising the past week and I feel fit to play. I definitely feel 100% and I feel I have a good chance here."

Sisters Serena and Venus Williams are in opposite sides of the French Open draw, meaning they could only meet each other in the final.

2002 champion Serena, the second seed, has a first-round tie against the Czech Republic's Klara Zakopalova but has no form to speak of on the dirt this year.

She has lost all three of her matches on clay, in tournaments in Marbella, Rome and Madrid, and in the latter she withdrew with a knee injury after losing the first set against Francesca Schiavone.

The American has allayed any fears about her injury and said of her prospects: "I'm going to take it a match at a time and I'm not putting too much pressure on myself.

"I don't have anything to lose this year so I'm going for it."

Venus, the third seed, takes on fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in round one.

Elsewhere, fourth seed Elena Dementieva opens up against a qualifier and fifth seed Jelena Jankovic, of Serbia, comes up first against Petra Cetkovska.

Britain's Melanie South, who is in the same quarter of the draw as Keothavong, will play an as-yet-unknown qualifier.

Two other Britons, Elena Baltacha and Katie O'Brien, lost today in the final round of qualifying but could still be present in the first round as lucky losers.