Paris: Serena Williams on Friday pulled out of the French Open because of an ankle injury.

Serena, the 2002 French Open champion, withdrew during a quarter final match at Amelia Island in April and then missed the German Open in early may.

She lost her first match after returning at the Italian Open on May 11. She moved poorly and called the 6-7 (2-7), 1-6 defeat to Francesca Schiavone the worst of her career.

Serena, ranked fourth in the world, is 15-4 overall this year and has reached at least the quarter finals in her last four appearances at Roland Garros.

Russia’s Elena Dementieva replaces the six-time Grand Slam winner as the fourth-seeded player in the French Open draw.

Lindsay Davenport of the US, who is the No. 1 seed, will start her campaign against Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia.

Justine Henin-Hardenne is seeded 10th and will be tested straight away with a first-round match against former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez of Spain.

Defending Anastasia Myskina of Russia, seeded fifth, could be made to work by Spanish baseliner Maria Sanchez Lorenzo in her opening match.

Belgian Kim Clijsters, the runner-up in 2001 and 2003, is a doubtful starter because of a knee injury but she was included in the draw as the 14th seed. She will meet a qualifier in the first round.

On the men’s side, Spain’s Rafael Nadal, who emerged as a French Open favourite after a brilliant run on clay, faces a likely third-round match against fellow-teenager Richard Gasquet.

Top seed Roger Federer will start against Swede Robin Soderling and could face a tough test as early as the third round against Chilean baseliner Fernando Gonzalez, seeded 25th.

Seeded fourth in the tournament starting on Monday, Nadal starts against German Lars Burgsmueller and will then meet either American Mardy Fish or Belgian Xavier Malisse before facing Gasquet, the 30th seed.

Holder Gaston Gaudio of Argentina, seeded fifth, has a seemingly easy start against unheralded Frenchman Julien Benneteau.

American Andy Roddick, the second seed, faces French wild card entrant Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Last year’s runner-up, Argentine Guillermo Coria, the eighth seed, was handed a relatively easy draw, starting with a match against Denmark’s Kenneth Carlsen.

Meanwhile, world No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo has joined forces with former champion Yannick Noah in a bid to win an elusive Grand Slam title. Noah was the last Frenchman to win at Roland Garros, in 1983, and also captained his country to victory in the Davis Cup in 1991 and 1995 and the Fed Cup in 1997.

“We started (working together) two months ago,” Mauresmo said on Thursday. “It’s not a magical solution. There are just little things we want to improve.”

Mauresmo said she was still working with her coach, Loic Courteau, but was also getting precious advice from Noah.