Sharapova drawn to play Spaniard

POSSILE QUARTER-FINALS Davenport v Kuznetsova Mauresmo v Dementieva Henin-Hardenne v S Williams Petrova v Sharapova Women's draw

Maria Sharapova will open the defence of her Wimbledon title against Spain's Nuria Llagostera Vives.

Sharapova is the second seed behind 1999 champion and world number one Lindsay Davenport, who faces Russian Alina Jidkova in the first round.

French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, seeded seventh, will play Eleni Daniilidou of Greece.

British number one Elena Baltacha, a wildcard entrant, takes on qualifier Sabine Klaschka in her first match.

Should the 21-year-old win her opener, sixth seed Elena Dementieva could lie in wait in round two.

Venus Williams meets a qualifier while sister Serena faces fellow American American Angela Haynes.

The pair could meet in the fourth round.

OTHER BRITISH DRAWS J O'Donoghue v A-L Groenefeld (Ger) A Keothavong v M Diaz-Oliva (Arg) S Borwell v S Perry (US) fact here

Kim Clijsters, seeded down at 15 after an injury-disrupted 2004, tackles British wildcard Katie O'Brien in the first round.

The Belgian could get a chance to avenge her French Open defeat to Davenport in the fourth round.

Another British wildcard Rebecca Llewellyn faces US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round.