Nadal Rides Streak Into ATP Barcelona

Rafael Nadal heads a field of four current or former French Open champions this week at the Open Seat 2006 at Barcelona.

Nadal will hope to recover with a first-round bye from his title run at the Masters Series-Monte Carlo over the weekend where he beat world No. 1 Roger Federer in the four-set final, extending his claycourt win streak to 42 matches.

Nadal is joined among the Top 8 seeds by Russian Nikolay Davydenko, Argentine Guillermo Coria, Czech Radek Stepanek, Spaniards David Ferrer and Tommy Robredo, Finn Jarkko Nieminen and Slovak Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty.

Nadal will open against the winner of Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez and a qualifier, while the No. 2-seeded Davydenko will play either Max "The Beast" Mirnyi or "Dr." Ivo Karlovic.

Last year the No. 8-seeded Nadal beat the unseeded Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets in the final.

Highlights of Monday play in Barcelona are Andrei Pavel vs. Valencia winner Nicolas Almagro, Vince Spadea vs. (WC) Al Costa who is competing in his final ATP event, and former No. 1s and French Open winners (10) Juan Carlos Ferrero vs. Kristof Vliegen, and (15) Carlos Moya vs. (Q) Evgeny Korolev.