Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are in the same half of a grand slam for the first time in seven years after the draw made yesterday for next week’s Australian Open in Melbourne.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic has world number four Andy Murray in the top half of the men’s singles draw, while Nadal and Federer, second and third ranked respectively, were placed for the bottom half.

It is the first time since the 2005 French Open that 16-time grand slam champion Federer and 10-time major winner Nadal have been pitted in the same half of a grand slam draw.

The draw means that if they progress, the quartet will meet in the last four with Djokovic and Murray on collision course and Federer and Nadal eyeing a semi-final clash.

Djokovic, who won three of the four grand slams and five Masters titles in a remarkable 2011, begins his Australian Open title defence against Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi.

“I didn’t play in any lead-up tournaments (to the Open) because I played a lot of matches in 2011 and I felt that I didn’t have to perform in the first week of the season,” Djoko-vic said at the draw.

“I feel comfortable with preparing for an extra week ... I hope it works.”

Meanwhile, world number one Caroline Wozniacki could face French Open champion Li Na in the quarter-finals.

The Danish top seed, whose world ranking is under threat from Petra Kvitova, also has defending champion Kim Clijsters, third seed Victoria Azarenka and the dangerous Agnieszka Radwanska in her top half of the draw.

Wozniacki is hunting a maiden grand slam title in Melbourne and opens her campaign against Australian Anastasia Rodionova.

Clijsters beat Li in last year’s Australian Open final before the Chinese star went on to take the French Open at Roland Garros, in the process making history as the first Asian grand slam winner.