The draw for Wimbledon was held today and Sampras was matched up against Jiri Vanek of the Czech Republic, while Hingis will take on Angeles Montolio of Spain.
Sampras, the top men's seed who has won 46 of his last 47 matches at the All-England Club, should not meet resistance until the quarterfinals, where he could face Lleyton Hewitt. The Australian teenager, seeded seventh, beat Sampras in the final of last Sunday's Stella Artois Championships but is receiving treatment for an acute sprained left ankle.
Third seed Magnus Norman of Sweden -- the French Open runner-up; sixth seed and 1997 finalist Cedric Pioline of France; 11th seed Richard Krajicek, the 1996 champion who was the only player to beat Sampras here in the last seven years; and No. 14 Greg Rusedski of Britain also are in the top half of the draw.
Hingis could encounter hard-hitting German Anke Huber, the 11th seed, in the fourth round and No. 5 Venus Williams in the quarterfinals.
Williams, who reached the quarterfinals here the last two years, is in the same half as her younger sister, eighth seed and U.S. Open champion Serena Williams. They could play each other in the semifinals, something the two women have been avoiding.
This is the first Grand Slam of which both sisters have entered since Serena Williams won the family's only Grand Slam in New York last September.
Serena Williams opens against Asa Carlsson of Sweden while Venus takes on Kvetoslava Hrdlickova of the Czech Republic.
Other seeds in the top half of the women's draw are 1991 champion Conchita Martinez of Spain, 10th seed Sandrine Testud of France, No. 14 Julie Halard-Decugis of France, and No. 15 Barbara Schett of Austria.
Second seed Lindsay Davenport of the United States, who suffered a back injury during a first-round exit at the French Open, begins defense of her title against doubles partner and best friend Corina Morariu of the United States.
The Australian Open winner, Davenport could meet No. 16 Dominique Van Roost of Belgium in the fourth round and either sixth seed Monica Seles of the United State or No. 9 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain.
French Open champion and third seed Mary Pierce of France, seventh seed and 1998 runner-up Nathalie Tauziat of France, No. 12 Amanda Coetzer of South Africa, and No. 13 Amelie Mauresmo of France also are in the bottom half of the draw.
Last year's men's runner-up, second-seeded Andre Agassi of the United States, starts off with a qualifier and has some heavy hitters in his half of the draw.
In the fourth round, Agassi could encounter 15th seed Marat Safin of Russia, although the 20-year-old just won his first grasscourt match last week at Queen's Club. No. 8 Tim Henman of Britain, a two-time semifinalist, could be waiting in the quarterfinals, or dangerous 15th seed Mark Philippoussis of Australia.
Fourth seed Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil -- the French Open winner, fifth-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, No. 12 Patrick Rafter of Australia, a semifinalist last year, and No. 13 Nicolas Kiefer of Germany fill out the remaining seeds in the bottom half.