Top seed and world number one Lleyton Hewitt has been drawn in the same half of the Australian Open field as Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras.
Hewitt, Australia's first top seed for 26 years at the Australian Open, is in the same top half of the draw as the former champions.
Analysts are saying the top half of the mens' draw is also top-heavy with the big guns.
Other big dangers include a quartet of talented younger stars: Roger Federer, who won the adidas International in Sydney last night; former world number one Marat Safin, who played at the Heineken Open in Auckland last week; Germany's Tommy Haas; and American teenager Andy Roddick.
Hewitt faces Spanish claycourter Alberto Martin in the first round.
Hewitt withdrew from the Hopman Cup a couple of weeks ago, stating he was suffering from a bout of chicken pox. He says he's now completely recovered.
Three-time winner Agassi could face Sampras in the quarter-finals of the Open, beginning in Melbourne tomorrow.
Sampras will have the psychological edge over the shaven-headed Agassi, having just beaten him in the final of the Commonwealth Classic at Kooyong.
Agassi, the third seed and bidding for his third consecutive victory after winning in 2000-01, could also face exciting American youngster Andy Roddick in the fourth round.
Second seed Gustavo Kuerten is drawn to face Britain's sixth-seed Tim Henman in the quarters in the more sedate bottom half of the draw.
Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov, seeded four this year and a winner in 1999, was drawn in Kuerten's half of the draw and has a potential quarter-final match-up with French fifth seed Sebastien Grosjean.
Australian Mark Philippoussis, unseeded after coming back from long-term knee injury, is in the bottom half and could face British 28th seed Greg Rusedski in the second round.
Should Rusedski progress he could be embroiled in a fascinating all-British third round match with Henman.
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Women's top seed and defending champion Jennifer Capriati meets Croatia's Silvija Talaja first up, while Alicia Molik faces Russian 29th seed Tatiana Panova.
A resurgent Martina Hingis faces France's Virginie Razzano, Serena Williams plays experienced Spaniard Conchita Martinez and Venus Williams takes on a qualifier.
Hingis wiped the court with Meghann Shaughnessy in the adidas International tennis final yesterday, sending an ominous message in word and deed to Capriati and the Williams sisters ahead of tomorrow's Australian Open.
Hingis, 21, needed just 61 minutes to rout the world No. 13 American 6-2, 6-3 for her first tournament victory since February, pocketing $163,000 to take her massive career earnings past $17 million.
Shortly before boarding her flight for Melbourne, the former world No 1 and five-time major winner declared: "I'm back."
Defending her Sydney crown completed a hugely successful comeback from a severe ankle injury suffered last October, giving Hingis justifiable cause for optimism ahead of looming battles against Serena and Venus Williams.
Tennis: Top players gather in Melbourne for first major of 2002
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