Coria, Nadal, Gaudio Advance at ATP Masters Monte Carlo

Coria failed to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second, but broke Mathieu in the next game to pave the way for the win.

"I'm not playing at the same level as last year," Coria said. "But I'm on the right track and a few more wins at Monte Carlo will help me get my confidence back."

Other seeded winners Monday were (4) Gaston Gaudio (d. (Q) C.Rochus), (11) Rafael Nadal (d. (WC) Monfils), (15) Radek Stepanek (d. Spadea, bagel in the first), and (16) Jiri Novak (d. Mirnyi from a set down).

"Mainly during the rallies I was getting too excited," said Monfils after winning five games off Nadal. "My dropshots were not very good. However, I played good tennis. He played the important points better than I did. I was not far behind."

Well, seven games behind to be exact.

Coria says the defending French Open champ Gaudio and the rising star Nadal are the ones to watch this year at Roland Garros, not world No. 1 Roger Federer.

"Nadal and Gaudio have everything you need to be good on clay," Coria said. "Federer can be dangerous but he needs to be more patient. It could be a bit complicated for him."
Qualifiers led the unseeded winners into the second round in France's Thierry Ascione (d. Beck) and Richard Gasquet (d. (Q) Garcia-Lopez, bagel in the second), Spanish veteran Felix Mantilla (d. (7) J.Johansson from a set down), and Romanian Victor Hanescu (d. Calleri).

Other un-seeds into the second round were wildcard and former No.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero (d. Karlovic), and Frenchman Cyril Saulnier (d. the clay-challenged Srichaphan).

Tim Henman's match was suspended due to rain with the No. 3 seed trailing Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta 4-6, 1-2, while three matches were postponed to Tuesday: No. 2 Marat Safin vs. Korea's Hyung-Taik Lee, Rainer Schuettler vs. Nicolas Kiefer, and Sweden's Robin Soderling vs. Frenchman Fabrice Santoro.

On Tuesday's loaded schedule on the dirt are Kuerten vs. (13) Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic, H.-T. Lee vs. (2) Safin, (1) Federer vs. "Grinning" Greg Rusedski, (5) "King" Carlos Moya vs. Puerta, "You Say" Potito Starace vs. A.Martin, Zabaleta vs. (3) Henman (to finish), Soderling vs. Fabrice "The Original Wizard" Santoro, Llodra vs. Costa, (Q) Seppi vs. Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez, in doubles Frenchmen (WC)Gasquet/Monfils vs. Argentines Etlis/Rodriguez, Olivier "The Roach" Rochus vs. (8) Ljubicic, Volandri vs. Arthurs, Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco vs. Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez in an all-forehand match-up, (WC) Lisnard vs. (12) T.Johansson, El Aynaoui vs. Montanes, Tomas "I Beat Federer in ?04" Berdych vs. Luis "Me So" Horna, (10) Davydenko vs. Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer, Andreev vs. (9) Canas, in doubles the golfing pair of Arnold/Palmer vs. waffles Malisse/Rochus, (Q) Julien "United Colors of" Benneteau vs. Florian "Oscar" Mayer, and (14) Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty vs. Ferrer.