Richard's first match of 2006 will not be easy. He has been drawn to play British number one, Tim Henman in the first round of Doha. The match will be played on Monday, second on Centre court, not before 5.30pm (local time)

Doha boasts a strong field as many of the world's top players are there, looking for some good match practice before the Australian Open. The defending champion and world number one Roger Federer is back to defend his title. Four Frenchmen have made the trip to Doha, as joining Richard in the main draw are Grosjean, Monfils and Santoro.

Seeded number three, Richard has never played Tim Henman before. Both players are starting 2006 after recovering from injuries. Twelve years Richard's senior, Henman has enjoyed a lot of success throughout his career, and will provide a stern test for the young Frenchman.

You can view the head-to-head of Gasquet and Henman here

In an effort to get as many matches as he can under his belt before the first grand slam of the year, Richard is also teaming up with Sebastien Grosjean in the doubles event. In the first round they face the team of Gael Monfils and Stanislas Wawrinka.

The tournament starts on Monday, 2nd January. Click here to see the full singles draw, and the doubles draw is also available.

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