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The ATP spring clay court circuit begins Monday with tournaments in Estoril, Valencia and Houston. They are three of the 11 ATP clay court tournaments leading to the road to Roland Garros.

Eight of the Top 20 players in the South African Airways ATP Rankings are in action, led by World No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko (pictured) , the top two seeds in Estoril. No. 5 David Ferrer is the top seed in Valencia and No. 8 James Blake leads the Houston field.

Other top entries include No. 17 Juan Monaco, No. 19 Tommy Robredo and No. 20 Juan Carlos Ferrero in Valencia, and No. 19 Ivo Karlovic in Estoril.

Estoril

Federer, who has compiled a 32-6 clay court record the last two years en route to back-to-back runner-up efforts in Paris, will be competing in his first non-ATP Masters Series tournament on clay since Gstaad in July 2004. Of Federer's six losses on clay, five have come to rival Rafael Nadal, who will make his season clay court debut at Masters Series Monte Carlo.

The Swiss World No. 1 is also trying to capture his first ATP title of the season. This is the first time since 2000 he's began the first three months of the year without a title. He will take on Belgian Olivier Rochus in the first round.

Davydenko, who won the Estoril title in 2003 and reached the final two years ago, has advanced to the Roland Garros semifinals two of the past three seasons. The 26-year-old Russian is coming off his second career ATP Masters Series title in Miami.

Karlovic, who captured his first ATP title in Houston one year ago, is making his first appearance in Estoril in three years and will be the No. 3 seed.

The tournament is traditionally a platform for future Roland Garros champions. Sergi Bruguera, Thomas Muster, Albert Costa and Juan Carlos Ferrero won titles in Portugal before going on to succeed in Paris. Even Gustavo Kuerten (1997) and Gaston Gaudio (2004) won the doubles at the Estoril Open the same year they lifted the Roland Garros singles crown.

Valencia

Ferrer (pictured), a finalist in 2005, leads a field that includes eight Spaniards, including two-time defending champion Nicolas Almagro. The 22-year-old Murcia native is off to a career-best 16-5 start this year with ATP titles in Costa do Sauipe and Acapulco. He also leads the ATP circuit with a 14-1 record on clay.

Monaco is the No. 2 seed and the 24-year-old Argentine will be making his Valencia main draw debut. During the Latin American clay court circuit, Monaco advanced to the final in Vina del Mar in February.

Robredo, a wild card entry, comes in as the No. 3 seed and the 25-year-old Spaniard is looking to get his season on track. He is 4-6 on the year and his ranking is No. 19 after finishing the last two years in the Top 10.

Ferrero captured the title in 2003 and in 1999 when the tournament was held in Mallorca. He will take on wild card Marat Safin in the first round. Safin won his last clay court title in 2000 when the event was in Mallorca.

Houston

Blake is making his eighth straight appearance in Houston, having reached the semifinals last year and the quarterfinals from 2002-05. The 28-year-old American is looking to reach his first career ATP final on clay. Blake will face Japenese wild card Kei Nishikori in the first round and it will be a rematch of the Delray Beach final in February when the teenager prevailed in three sets.

The No. 2 seed is Tommy Haas, who captured the title in 2004 and reached the semifinals two years ago and the quarterfinals last year. The 30-year-old German has a 13-4 career record in Houston.

The No. 3 seed is 2006 champion Mardy Fish, who will be making his '08 clay court debut. The 26-year-old American is off to a 13-7 start with a runner-up showing at ATP Masters Series Indian Wells where he defeated three Top 10 opponents, including No. 1 Federer in the semifinals.

Tournament Profile| Houston Tournament Site

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