Summary Williams will play Australian Ashleigh Barty first up.
MELBOURNE (AFP) - World number one Serena Williams faces a potential semi-final with China s Li Na following Friday s women s draw for the Australian Open.
Williams, who could equal Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert s total of 18 Grand Slam singles titles with victory at Melbourne Park, will play Australian Ashleigh Barty first up.
The American, a five-time Australian Open champion, is seeded to face Italy s seventh seed Sara Errani in the quarters before a potential semi-final clash with fourth-seeded Li.
Li, who lost to Victoria Azarenka in last year s final, is drawn to face Czech left-hander Petra Kvitova in the last eight.
Two-time defending champion and world number two Azarenka will play Sweden s Johanna Larsson in the opening round and has a potential quarter-final with Polish fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
Russian third seed Maria Sharapova, a winner in Melbourne in 2008, faces a tough opening round against American Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Mattek-Sands upset top seed Radwanska at this week s Sydney International, but later withdrew from the tournament with back trouble.
Sharapova was seeded to face Serbian eight seed Jelena Jankovic in the quarter-finals.
