Top-seeded former Roland Garros winners
Gaston Gaudio and
Juan Carlos Ferrero will attempt to navigate a field of "B"-level claycourt specialists this week at the Brazil Open in Costa Do Sauipe.
Gaudio pulled out of Buenos Aires last week with a shoulder injury, while Ferrero lost to eventual champ
Carlos Moya in the B.A. final.
Also seeded are Buenos Aires runner-up
Filippo Volandri of Italy, Frenchman
Florent Serra, Argentina's
Juan Ignacio Chela, Reigning Olympic champion
Nicolas Massu, Spaniard Al Martin, and Serb
Boris Pashanski.
Brazilian hero Gustavo Kuerten is unseeded, while the three wildcards went to Brazilians
Ricardo Mello,
Andre Ghem and
Andre Sa.
Gaudio opens against a qualifier, Ferrero against Brazil's
Flavio Saretta, and Kuerten against countryman Ghem.
Absent from this year's field is 2005 champion
Rafael Nadal, who defeated A.Martin 6-0, 6-7(2), 6-1 in the 2005 final.
Guillermo Coria,
Jose Acasuso and
Agustin Calleri all pulled from the event before the Monday start, citing injury.
Kuerten (2004,'02) is the lone returning champ in the field.
