Olympics-Tennis-Nadal blocking Djokovic's path in potential round-two clash

By Martyn Herman

PARIS (Reuters) - Top seed Novak Djokovic could face 14-times French Open champion Rafa Nadal in a blockbuster second-round match in the Olympic men's singles after the draw was made at Roland Garros on Thursday.

Women's top Iga Swiatek of Poland, who will be overwhelming favourite after winning her third successive French Open crown last month, meets Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu while second seed Coco Gauff faces Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic.

There were murmurs around the room when the men's singles draw was revealed on a screen showing Spaniard Nadal, who was present at the draw, blocking Djokovic's path.

Serbia's Djokovic, bidding to claim the Olympic gold medal that has eluded him, was promoted to number one seed after the withdrawal of Italy's Jannik Sinner due to illness, will face Australia's Matthew Ebden in the opening round.

If he wins that and the 38-year-old Nadal beats Hungary's Marton Fucsovics the pair will continue a huge career rivalry which has seen them clash 10 times at the French Open -- three in final, all of which Nadal won.

Nadal, who won the Olympic singles gold in 2008 and the doubles in 2016, was present at the draw alongside twice Olympic singles champion Andy Murray, former French Open winner Stan Wawrinka, Angelique Kerber and Elina Svitolina.

Both Murray and Kerber will retire after the Olympics while Nadal is yet to confirm exactly when he will call time on his career after initially saying this would be his final year.

"Just excited to have the chance to be back here in this special place," 22-times Grand Slam champion Nadal said. "I wasn't able to spend much time here this year."

Nadal was beaten in the opening round of this year's French Open by Germany's Alexander Zverev.

Men's second seed Carlos Alcaraz, who claimed his fourth Grand Slam title by winning Wimbledon this month, will face Lebanon's Hady Habib in the first round.

Defending men's singles champion Alexander Zverev, seeded three, faces Spain's Jaume Munar in his opening match.

STRONG CONTENDERS

Nadal and Alcaraz have joined forces to form a Spanish dream team for the men's doubles and although not seeded will be strong medal contenders. They will play Argentine seeds Maximo Gonzales and Andres Molteni in the first round.

Swiatek, a strong favourite in the women's singles, was given a favourable draw with American eighth seed Danielle Collins a potential quarter-final opponent.

The standout clash in the women's singles first round is three-times Grand Slam champion Kerber of German playing Japan's four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka with the winner likely to face Kazakhstan's third seed Elena Rybakina in round two.

Zverev and German partner Laura Siegemund are top seeds in the mixed doubles but face a daunting opener against Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Machac.

In the women's doubles, U.S. flagbearer Gauff teams up with Jessica Pegula as top seeds. They face Australians Ellen Perz and Daria Saville in round one.

In the men's doubles, Britain's Murray will be eager to keep his career going for at least one more match as he and Dan Evans face Japan's Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori.

Murray earlier withdrew from the singles.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)