Defending Monte Carlo Masters champion and last year's French Open runner-up Guillermo Coria believes Roger Federer could endure another shattering Roland Garros heartbreaker this season.
The world No. 1 Swiss won three of the four Grand Slams last year but came up dreadfully short at Roland Garros when he was knocked out in the third round by triple champion Gustavo Kuerten.
Argentinian Coria, one of the tour's most accomplished clay court exponents, believes Spanish teenage sensation Rafael Nadal and reigning French Open champion Gaston Gaudio will sweep all before them at the top European clay tournaments this year.
"I believe Nadal and Gaudio are favorites to win all of the clay court tournaments," Coria said.
"They have the better game on clay. Federer can be dangerous on clay but he has to be more patient and if he plays either of them it will very difficult for him," he said.
To prove his point, Nadal won the battle of the 18-year-olds, easing past French world junior champion Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2, while fourth-seeded Gaudio beat Christophe Rochus of Belgium 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 to stay on course for a third clay court title this year.
"It is kind of Coria to say what he did. It's important to win each match but there are other players like Moya, Ferrero, Gaudio, Coria and even Federer who are all favorites," Nadal said.
Coria, the sixth seed, saw off French wildcard Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-2, 7-5 on a rain-hit opening day at the Monte Carlo Masters and he admitted that he is still feeling his way back after undergoing shoulder surgery last year.
The 23-year-old took his overall record in the principality to 16 wins against three defeats but it was a far from convincing display.
He lost serve three times in the second set but fortunately for him, Mathieu was even more brittle being broken four times and the Argentinian eventually wrapped up the tie on his fourth match point.
"I have put on three kilos and improved physically but I need more wins to reach the level I was at last year," said Coria, who now meets French qualifier Thierry Ascione in the next round.
Also going through was 2002 and 2003 winner, and former French Open champion, Juan Carlos Ferrero who edged Croatia's Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 6-1.
The 25-year-old Spaniard, who next meets Jiri Novak, the 16th-seeded Czech, needed a wildcard to gain entry into this year's event after his ranking sank to 68 following a 2004 dogged by chicken pox and a rib injury.
He managed to finish his first round encounter before the rain caused three stoppages which added to the gloom in the principality caused by last week's death of Prince Rainier.
"It's difficult to play against Karlovic, he doesn't give you any rhythm but I am happy to have got through," Ferrero said.
Sweden's Joachim Johansson became the first seeded player to be beaten as the No. 7 seed lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to Spanish veteran Felix Mantilla.
The rain eventually returned leaving Britain's Tim Henman, the third seed, trailing Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta 6-4, 2-1.
Top seed and world No. 1 Federer, who hasn't played here for three years, began his tournament yesterday against Britain's Greg Rusedski.
Henin-Hardenne breaks back
Former world No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne, continuing her comeback from illness and injury, rallied to beat Jelena Jankovich in three sets on Monday at the US$1.3 million WTA Tour event in Charleston, South Carolina.
Henin-Hardenne, unseeded as she makes just her second start since last year's US Open, defeated the 10th-seeded Serbian 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, in a first-round match at the claycourt tournament.
Ninth seed Elena Likhovtseva of Russia was also bounced on Monday, falling to Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4.
Seeded winners included No. 11 Ai Sugiyama of Japan and No. 16 Fabiola Zuluaga of Colombia. Sugiyama outlasted Yuliana Fedak of the Ukraine 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, while Zuluaga bested Severine Beltrame of France 6-3, 6-4.
World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport is the top seed. The American won her second title of the year on Sunday, beating Silvia Farina Elia, 7-5, 7-5, in the final of the tournament at Amelia Island, Florida.
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