Dementieva could face Henin

Fifth seed Elena Dementieva was the unlucky player at the Australian Open draw on Friday after she was drawn for an early-round meeting with the unseeded Justine Henin.

Henin was the player the others wanted to miss after she made a sensational return from a 20-month retirement to win her first tournament back in Brisbane last week.

The Belgian's recent return meant she did not qualify for a seeding and while the 27-year-old avoided a seed in the opening round - she will first play countrywoman Kirsten Flipkens - the seven-time grand slam winner could meet Dementieva in the second round.

Reigning champion and world number one Serena Williams will begin her defence against 19-year-old Uruszla Radwanska.

Williams' path to the last eight also looks trouble-free with seventh seed Victoria Azarenka the highest ranked player in her quarter of the draw.

Second seed Dinara Safina, who lost to Williams in last year's final, will play the 44th-ranked Magdalena Rybarikova.

Safina is in arguably the toughest half of the draw and faces a fourth-round meeting with 2008 Australian Open winner Maria Sharapova who opens with a glamorous tie against Maria Kirilenko.

Kim Clijsters was drawn against a qualifier as she looks to maintain her own remarkable comeback after winning the US Open last year as a wildcard entrant.

Clijsters, who became the first mother to win a grand slam since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 at Flushing Meadows, is the 15th seed at Melbourne Park and looms as a fourth-round opponent for third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.