Hewitt Returns This Week at ATP Portschach

Russian Nikolay Davydenko is the top seed, but all eyes will be on Lleyton Hewitt to see how the Aussie responds in his first claycourt match only a week before the French Open at the Hypo Group Tennis International in Portschach, formerly the ATP St. Poelten event.

Hewitt has not competed since the Davis Cup versus Belarus on the weekend of April 6, suffering since from various injuries.

Former French Open runner-up Martin Verkerk, also on the acceptance list this week, pulled out due to his ongoing shoulder injury. Verkerk has played one match in 2006, losing at a challenger in March.

Also among the seeds are Slovak Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty, Russian Dmitry Tursunov, Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela, hot-handed Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, Peru's Luis Horna and Frenchman Gilles Simon.

Other notables in the field are wildcard Nicolas Lapentti, German Rainer Schuettler who faces Hrbaty in his opener, Jiri Novak in his second event of his injury comeback, American Vince Spadea and Romanian veteran Andrei Pavel.

On court Monday in Portschach in main draw play are (WC) Marach vs. Spadea, and C.Rochus vs. (6) Almagro.