The defending champion Roger Federer has been handed a tough first round draw as he attempts to claim his fifth title here at the $1.5 million Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. The world number 1 has been drawn to play Andy Murray, currently ranked 12 but unseeded due to the incredible depth of the field which boasts 8 of the world's top 10 players.

Even last year's runner-up Mikhael Youzhny who is ranked one place above Murray is not seeded and could face Novak Djokovic in round 2 if he can get past the veteran French ‘magician' Fabrice Santoro first.

Djokovic, the Australian Open champion is in the bottom half of the draw and could face Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. David Ferrer, seeded 4, may have to get past Roger Federer first if he is to make the final.

Andy Roddick comes to Dubai for the first time and will take on Juan-Carlos Ferrero in the opening round, a repeat of the US Open final 2003 which the American won.

With a top prize of $300,000, the trophy and prestigious title on the line, this star-studded line-up promises to produce one of the most hotly contested events of the year.

Draw

Roger Federer (1) v Andy Murray

Rainer Schuettler v Fernando Verdasco

Stanislas Wawrinka v Qualifier

Mohammad Ghareeb (wc) v Nikolay Davydenko (5)

David Ferrer (4) v Tommy Haas

Jarkko Nieminen v Olivier Rochus

Janko Tipsarevic v Feliciano Lopez

Gael Monfils v Thomas Berdych (8)

Richard Gasquet (7) v Dimitry Tursonov

Qualifier v Igor Andreev

Mikhael Youzhny v Fabrice Santoro

Marin Cilic v Novak Djokovic (3)

Andy Roddick (6) v Juan-Carlos Ferrero

Qualifier v Paul-Henri Mathieu

Nader Mahmood (wc) v Qualifier

Philipp Kohlschreiber v Rafael Nadal (2)

Andre Jones

Dubai