Federer tries to avoid Henman

Roger Federer today admitted he is anxious to avoid a Wimbledon meeting with Tim Henman. The defending champion has tipped Henman as one of few players capable of stealing his crown, along with last year's beaten finalist Andy Roddick and former champion Lleyton Hewitt.

Federer begins his title defence against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu on Centre Court today but is already thinking further ahead.

He said: "For me Henman is one of the guys that plays best on grass. I don't want to play him. He's very experienced on the surface. It really needs a very good player to beat him, I think, somebody to stop him.

"He knows himself he's got the game to do well here and to maybe win. He's shown how consistent he can be over the years. You've got to give him a lot of credit for that, too.

"He handled pressure great the last few years, so I expect him to go far again this year."

Federer is aiming to be the first man since Pete Sampras to win three successive singles titles, but insists he is not feeling any added pressure.

He said: "Two, three, five, 10 in a row, it doesn't really matter to me."

Federer will be followed on Centre Court by the top-seeded woman Lindsay Davenport against Russia's Alina Jidkova, before Australian Open champion Marat Safin faces Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan.

Hewitt is first on Court One against Belgium's Christophe Rochus with Jamie Delgado rewarded for coming through the qualifying competition with a court one clash with former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero. Greg Rusedski, though, has to begin his campaign for an unlikely victory out on Court Two as he faces Spain's Alberto Martin.