Serena to Detail 2006 Comeback; Safin, Moya Out in Monte Carlo

The younger Williams sister hasn't competed since the 2006 Australian Open in January where she proclaimed herself fit, though appeared to be at her heaviest ever. In the meantime, Serena has been pursuing acting roles, and has been seen as a regular on the Hollywood premiers, parties and outlet-openings circuit.

Nadal Not Happy; Safin, Moya Lose at Monte Carlo

Two former No. 1s, a semifinalist from last year at Roland Garros and the reigning Olympic champ were among the high-profile exits Tuesday on the clay at the Masters Series-Monte Carlo.

French crowd favorite Paul-Henri Mathieu took advantage of an illness-sapped Marat Safin, handing the former No. 1 a bagel en route to a 6-0, 7-5 win.

"I was missing a little bit of energy," Safin told reporters. "I got sick two, three days ago, and I'm still little bit weak, so it's difficult to run around and try to make winners all over the court, especially on clay. So I had to work a little bit harder, and unfortunately, I'm not really ready for this."

The event lost another former No. 1 when French Open champ Carlos Moya ran out of gas in the third set, losing his opener 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to No. 12 seed Fernando Gonzalez.

Aside from the high-profile unseeded losers, No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko was the only seed to fall Tuesday, exiting in three sets to Swede Robin Soderling.

Other seeded winners Tuesday were (2) Rafael Nadal (d. Clement), (4) Ivan Ljubicic (d. Andreev in three), (6) Guillermo Coria (d. Youzhny), (8) David Ferrer (d. the Olympic champ Massu in three, bagel in the first), (13) Sebastien Grosjean (d. Verdasco), and (16) Tomas Berdych (d. Santoro).

Nadal gained revenge against Clement for a loss earlier this year, struggling with nerves during his claycourt debut of the French Open run-up.

"Maybe I don't play very good, but is normal," Nadal told reporters after winning his 37th consecutive dirt match. "I lost in Miami first round. My first match on clay, so I was a little bit nervous, but that's normal. And then I am happy because I am practicing very good every day. So when I finish my nervous, I think, and when I gonna play a little bit more aggressive, maybe I gonna play good."

Andy Murray was another high-profile unseeded loser, with the coachless Scot failing to capitalize on a set lead in a 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 setback against wildcard Jean-Rene Lisnard.

"I knew I wasn't a hundred percent fit coming into the match," said Murray who suffered from cramps during his loss, and was up a break in the third. "Since my match in Miami, I had very little time to practice because of the ankle injury and then the sickness. Obviously, this is my first match on clay, so I wasn't expecting to play great and feel great on the court. But, you know, I had a lot of chances to win the match."

Seeds in action Wednesday in Monte Carlo are (3) Nalbandian vs. Seppi, (6) Guillermo "El Mago" Coria vs. Mathieu, (1) Federer vs. A.Martin, (WC) Lisnard vs. (2) Nadal, (11) Ferrero vs. Chela, (Q) Balleret vs. (13) Grosjean, (WC) Simon vs. (16) Berdych, (12) Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez vs. Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez, (15) Robredo vs. Olivier "The Roach" Rochus, (WC) Llodra vs. (9) Kiefer, (4) Ljubicic vs. Serra, (7) Gaudio vs. Acasuso, (Q) Di Mauro vs. (10) Stepanek, and Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty vs. (8) Ferrer.

McEnroe Heads ATP Senior Stop at Barcelona

John McEnroe, currently ranked No. 7 on the Tennis-X.com Combined Senior Rankings, has heard the challenge of senior newcomer Marcelo Rios, and returns to the court this week at the ATP senior tour stop in Barcelona.

"I'm looking forward to playing McEnroe," Rios said last month. "That's one of my goals. He has been talking a lot so I'm waiting for him to come to play me."

Alas, while McEnroe surfaces in Barcelona this week, Rios skips the SEAT Champions Cup '06 after winning two titles in his first two events of the year at Doha and Hong Kong.

McEnroe has been uncharacteristically silent in the face of Rios' repeated barbs, but look for a reponse after he has taken to the court for the first time Thursday in Barcelona.

If McEnroe can claim the title at Barcelona he will leap-frog from 7 to No. 2 behind Rios, bumping No. 2-ranked Cedric Pioline and No. 3 Jim Courier.

Joining McEnroe among the eight-man field is Wimbledon champ Richard Krajicek who is tied at the No. 7 ranking with McEnroe, and No. 10T-ranked French Open champs Sergi Bruguera and Mats Wilander. Making their 2006 senior tour debuts will be clay aficionados Andres Gomez, Emilio Sanchez, Carlos Costa and Martin Jaite.

McEnroe will attempt to emerge into the final from Group A with Wilander, Costa and Jaite, while Group B is up for grabs considering Bruguera's struggles of late, the fast-court loving Krajicek, and claycourters Gomez and Sanchez.

The Barcelona senior stop will be contested from April 20-23, 2006, with 400 points to the champion.

2006 TENNIS-X.COM COMBINED SENIOR RANKINGS
(Top 10, through week of April 16)

1. Marcelo Rios (800 pts.)
2. Cedric Pioline (450)
3. Jim Courier (400)
4. Pat Cash (390)
5. Thomas Muster (375)
6. Henri Leconte (205)
7T. Richard Krajicek (200)
7T. John McEnroe (200)
9. Mikael Pernfors (125)
10T. Sergi Bruguera (80)
10T. Aaron Krickstein (80)
10T. Mats Wilander (80)
10T. Mark Woodforde (80)

The Tennis-X.com Combined Senior Rankings is a cumulative ranking for senior tour players combining results from the Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions in Europe, and the Outback Champions Series in the U.S.

DAILY TENNIS-X E-NEWSLETTER
Who cares if you need it or not, show your love for Tennis-X, contribute to the fund, only eight bucks for one year of daily tennis news! Read what tennis industry insiders read each morning to get their heads around the latest news, insight and opinion on pro tennis. A year's subscription costs less than a meal and a pint. Get the Tennis-X Daily Dish in your e-mail in-box, even before it's posted on the web, by signing up for the net's most complete daily e-newsletter at http://www.tennis-x.com/subscribe.php

TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Marat Safin on his 2006 claycourt schedule: "Next week I will take the rest, and then I'm heading to Estoril so it will be perfect setup before Rome and Hamburg. And then heading to the French Open. I think I still have -- I will do something good on clay, I am sure...basically I have to bet in hoping for the good draw (at Roland Garros), so it all depends on the draws. And look at here, I am playing (Paul-Henri) Mathieu. At the second round I would have to play against (Guillermo) Coria. The draws are not really helping me out lately. So expecting that in the future I will have a little bit of luck and then I will take my chances."...From AndyRoddick.com on mom Blanche and her work with the Andy Roddick Foundation: "Donations support both the immediate needs of these children as well as continually building onto the Kids In Distress long-term endowment fund," Blanche Roddick, President of the Andy Roddick Foundation, explained. "When the money gets put into the endowment fund and the goal of $5 million is reached, the Kids In Distress Shelter will be self-sustaining. By then, the interest will be able to pay the difference and the shelter will no longer be concerned for its future and the welfare of these children. We visit the shelter every chance we get, and it's always a quiet house when we get home," said Blanche. "Growing up in an affluent lifestyle and being around your friends who grew up the same way, it's no surprise that visiting there hit Andy and myself so hard. It's too hard to believe that these children can have such a tough life."...Marat Safin says Paul-Henri Mathieu can be a player, if he can reach down and find his cojones: "I think he had quite bad losses, for example, in the Davis Cup against us, and then all of a sudden he disappeared. Before that, he won two tournaments and he beat (Gustavo) Kuerten in the final and then he won actually Lyon and Moscow. He was supposed to be in the Top 10. And now the guy is struggling. He makes his matches, but he doesn't really do anything special. I think it's a little bit a pity because he's quite talented guy. But he can be there, but he needs to be more brave, that's for sure."...Rafael Nadal says he is playing with good touch this week in Monte Carlo, now he just needs to get aggressive: "So maybe the worst is play too much defensive, no. I need play with a little bit more intensity and aggressive. And if I find that, I gonna play good because I touch good the ball -- I am touching good the ball (smiling)."...In doubles highlights Tuesday at Monte Carlo, Swiss pair Roger Federer and Yves Allegro beat Jaroslav Levinsky and Marat Safin 6-3, 3-6, 10-6, and Brit wildcards Tim Henman and Andy Murray beat Tomas Berdych and Jarkko Nieminen when Berdych retired with a stomach problem.