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Sydney (dpa) - Martina Hingis faces a serious test of her career comeback potential after being drawn Saturday into a high-profile first-round match against Belgian battler Justine Henin-Hardenne at the 1.02-million-dollars Medibank International.
The clash between former world number 1 players - both boasting less-than-imposing but powerful physiques - will highlight the women's side of the final Tour tournament before next Monday's start of the Australian Open.
Fifth seed Henin-Hardenne and Hingis have both won the Sydney event, with the Swiss lifting trophies in 1997, 2001 and 2002; Henin-Hardenne, playing her first match of the season, won the tournament in 2003.
Hingis returned to tennis after three years away this week, reaching the semi-finals on the Gold Coast. The 25-year-old was having a hip problem checked out but was expecting to take her place in Sydney.
"I've worked physically and I've played a lot of tennis over the last six weeks and right now I'm fine," Hingis said as she returned to action.
"We'll find out during the tournament, playing the matches, day in, day out - that's a different story."
The meeting will be the first in the tournament's history where two former champions and world number 1 players clash so early.
"That is one amazing match for a first round," said tournament director Craig Watson. "Being a seed Justine's name was already on the draw-board and when Martina's name was pulled out from the cup we were all stunned, but that's sport. That's the way it goes.
"We're excited about it and there is no doubt it will be the most highly anticipated early match."
The pair have met twice previously, with Hingis winning both in 2000.
The top four women's seeds - Kim Clijsters, Amelie Mauresmo, Patty Schnyder and Nadia Petrova - received first-round byes.
Elsewhere, Daniela Hantuchova takes on young Indian Sania Mirza, who launched her career twelve months ago in Australia with a third-round at the Open.
On the men's side, top seed and four-time winner Lleyton Hewitt begins his title defence against a qualifier; second seed Nikolay Davydenko plays Czech Tomas Berdych, winner of the Paris Masters two months ago.
Two Spaniards are seeded, number 5 and wild card Juan Carlos Ferrero and number 6 Tommy Robredo.
Ferrero, a 2003 Sydney finalist, takes on Aussie wild card Chris Guccione while Robredo takes on Russian Dmitry Tursunov.
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
