Tough opening for Masters

Top seeds Roger Federer and Andy Roddick have been handed tough opening draws at the Rome Masters, which starts on Monday.The withdrawals of...

Top seeds Roger Federer and Andy Roddick have been handed tough opening draws at the Rome Masters, which starts on Monday.

The withdrawals of previous winners Andre Agassi and Gustavo Kuerten, and injuries to French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero and Monte Carlo Masters winner Guillermo Coria have opened up the field in an event considered a good indicator of form ahead of Roland Garros later this month.

The weekend draw, however, threw up a series of early obstacles that threaten to derail the challenges of the tournament8217;s top two players, neither of whom have ever won in Rome.

U.S. Open champion Roddick faces a tricky first-round encounter with Argentine claycourt specialist Guillermo Canas, while top seed Federer starts his challenge against Sweden8217;s Jonas Bjorkman. Though 32-year-old Bjorkman should not cause too many problems for Federer, the likely reward for victory in that match would be a clash with Spain8217;s Albert Costa, who triumphed at Roland Garros in 2002.

A possible last 16 meeting with last year8217;s losing French Open finalist Martin Verkerk could complicate his progress even further.

Whatever perils await him in the early rounds, however, the 22-year-old Swiss starts as favourite for the title.

Last year he arrived in Italy carrying the burden of expectation attached to young man of great promise.

Story continues below this ad

Seeded fourth, he defeated Ferrero in the semi-finals to set up a showdown with unfancied Spaniard Felix Mantilla, whose tireless running and patient baseline game had worn down a series of more illustrious opponents.

Few gave the unseeded Mantilla a chance, but in the final Federer produced a string of unforced errors to succumb in straight sets.

Since then Federer has come of age. His first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and subsequent triumph at the Australian Open have established him as world No.1. The man who beat him in last season8217;s final, however, believes that the Italian capital8217;s clay courts remain unpredictable 8212; a belief borne out by the fact that last top seed to win in Rome was Thomas Muster in 1996. 8220;You never know what can happen. It8217;s like last year: I arrived without much confidence, but if a player wins his first game then it can all change,8221; said Mantilla, who plays American Robby Ginepri in the first round.

8220;This time Ferrero8217;s not coming, but all the other Spanish and Argentine players are here and they8217;ll be hard to beat.8221;