Manolo Santana, Carlos Moya and Nicolas Almagro were present at the draw • The men's final table will commence this Sunday · Nadal defends title
The spectacular start to the season of Novak Djokovic may be held or not, by the arrival of clay, Rafael Nadal is a territory where a virtuoso. The Spaniard, world number 1, you must defend from next Sunday Mutua Madrid Open title won last year against the Serbian and other minor players like Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Robin Soderling or David Ferrer.
Rafa Nadal is not just the current title holder, but the man to beat by any of its rivals. The number 1 in the world, debuting in this latest edition to the winner of the match between Marcos Baghdatis and a player of the preparatory phase, accumulates only 16 defeats on clay in his career, being the best player in history this area where accumulated 31 titles, only nine of the 40 Thomas Muster won and fifteen of the 46 who signed Guillermo Vilas as the best record in this section. Nadal comes from intractable shown in the two major tournaments before Madrid, Monte Carlo and Barcelona, where fold in both finals to David Ferrer, No. 2 of the 2011 'Race', which begins its journey in the capital by measuring the winner of the clash between Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela and qualifier 'tennis player. " On this occasion wanted to draw the two would not be until a final hypothetical.
The other name that resounds in the picture is that of Novak Djokovic. Serbian, settled for second place in the world rankings, has accumulated 26 wins in a row, including Davis Cup titles, Open de Australia, Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami is currently ranked for the semi-finals in Belgrade, ATP 250 of its property. In Madrid is facing one of the outstanding issues, the clay, where the surface has only won 4 of the 22 titles you have in your cabinets (Amersfoort 2006, Estoril 2007, Rome 2008, Belgrade 2009). 'Nole' debut against the winner of the clash that pits the South African Kevin Anderson and Latvian Ernests Gulbis in the hope of extending a winning streak that now sees no end.
Third-seeded Roger Federer is a priori. Federer, after a 'discrete' start to the season (title in Doha, Dubai final, semi final Australia's Open, Indian Wells and Miami and the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo), arrives in Madrid, a tournament he has won twice on two different surfaces and 2009 -2006 on hard ground. Amen of Basel, we must be attentive to players like Andy Murray, who after missing the Barcelona Open in Madrid has a first contact with clay that has been allergic to date; Juan Martin del Potro, in his return to clay is an excellent signing tournament in Estoril, Robin Soderling, who has gone more or less in the first third of the season, or Milos Raonic, a revelation this season and start reaching the capital of the labor coach, Spanish Galo Blanco.
As for the rest of the `Navy 'include the presence of Nicolas Almagro, Madrid debut in his capacity as` Top Ten', Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez, who exercised local heroes, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Albert Montanes Tommy Robredo, Pablo Andujar and Marcel Granollers.