Mathieu out to spoil Nadal's birthday

PARIS, June 3 (Reuters) Rafael Nadal will have to contend with more than 15,000 fans determined to ruin his 20th birthday celebrations when he faces French hope Paul-Henri Mathieu in the third round at Roland Garros today.

Mathieu will be trying to avoid the same fate as Nadal's 55 previous opponents on clay -- defeat.

The 24-year-old Frenchman would be well advised not to dwell on their previous encounters since he has never beaten defending champion Nadal in four meetings.

''It's going to be a tough match because he is a tough player and he plays well on clay,'' said second seed Nadal.

Australian Lleyton Hewitt looks to have shed his injury woes and will be eager for a quick workout against Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty.

Should Nadal and Hewitt live up to their seedings, they will meet in a tantalising fourth-round showdown.

Eighth seed James Blake has already achieved his best result in the French capital by reaching the last 32 and will be determined to maintain American interest in the men's draw when he faces former junior champion Gael Monfils of France.

In the women's draw, champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, second seed Kim Clijsters and former runner-up Martina Hingis will be in action.

Henin-Hardenne will be hoping history does not repeat itself when she faces Italy's Tathiana Garbin.

The last time they met, the Belgian was the defending French Open champion and was dumped out of the 2004 tournament by Garbin in the second round.

Clijsters, runner up in 2001 and 2003, has enjoyed a blazing start in each of her two matches here but each time the Belgian has lost her way a bit in the second.

She will be keen to avoid any such hiccups against Anabel Medina Garrigues.

Hingis, back at the French Open for the first time since 2001, has been in sparkling form and should face little problem in overcoming 111th ranked Croatian Ivana Lisjak.

Reuters PDS VP0740