Federer set to launch title defence

Defending champion Roger Federer [ Images ] will begin the defence of his US Open [ Images ] title on Tuesday when he takes on Ivo Minar of the Czech Republic in the first round.

The world number one Swiss is looking to win back-to-back Grand Slam titles, having clinched his third consecutive Wimbledon [ Images ] crown last month.

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Former champion Andy Roddick [ Images ], the fourth seed and runner-up to Federer at Wimbledon, will open the evening session against Luxembourg's Gilles Muller while former women's champions Lindsay Davenport [ Images ] and Justine Henin-Hardenne also make their tournament bows.

World number one Davenport, the second seed and runner-up at the Australian Open [ Images ] and Wimbledon, will play Li Na [ Images ] of China.

American Davenport, the 1998 US Open champion, has not won a Grand Slam title since 2000.

"I will put in a huge effort to try and win a Grand Slam again," she said on the eve of the tournament.

"I've gotten close twice this year and it hasn't happened, so I just keep plugging away in the hope that will happen."

Seventh seed Henin-Hardenne of Belgium, the French Open [ Images ] champion and winner at Flushing Meadows in 2003, faces Zuzana Ondraskova of the Czech Republic.

French third seed Amelie Mauresmo [ Images ], still searching for her first Grand Slam title, meets Italian Roberta Vinci while last year's runner-up, Russian sixth seed Elena Dementieva [ Images ], takes on Czech left-hander Lucie Safarova [ Images ].

In other notable matches, 28th seed Greg Rusedski [ Images ] of Britain meets in-form American James Blake [ Images ], who won the New Haven Open on Sunday, while another Briton, 12th-seeded Tim Henman [ Images ], a semi-finalist last year, faces Spaniard Fernando Verdasco [ Images ].