The ailing Paradorn, who has opted to take his chance in Melbourne albeit suffering a long-time wrist injury, was drawn to play a qualifier in the first round, but the question is whether the world No 53 will be fit enough to last throughout his opening match.

In fact, with his current condition, it will be a daunting task for Paradorn no matter who he has to meet across the net. Having lost disastrously to Austrian Stefan Koubek in Chennai and retired during a match against Czech qualifier Ivo Minar earlier this week in Sydney casts a cloud over the outcome.

But if the former fourth-round finisher is lucky, he will face 2005 champion Marat Safin, the 26th seed, in the second round, assuming Safin survives round one, when he plays Benjamin Becker of Germany.

Paradorn's compatriot Danai is to take on little-known Martin Vassallo Arguello from Argentina, ranked 86th in the world. Factors since his historic win in the Doha Asian Games singles final have deprived him of the courts, and this took its toll in his match with Xavier Malisse of Belgium in Chennai.

But since that easy defeat by the Belgian, which was his only match this season, Danai has resumed training intensively and claims he has been in great shape. If he can call upon the form that propelled him to the gold medal in Doha, Danai, No 103, stands a chance of making a second-round appearance for the first time in the Australian Open.

Tamarine has been handed the heaviest task of the three, as her opponent is fifth-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia, the world No 6 and fifth seed of the tournament. Tamarine has not played a match since an ankle injury in the December Asian Games.

But there is some good news for the Thai veteran, ranked 71 in the world, as Petrova herself has an injury, which forced her to concede a match to Anna Avanovic of Serbia and Montenegro in Sydney.