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The 2008 US $2,450,000 French Masters Series event played in Monte Carlo, Monaco has just began. This senior championship first started back in 1897 and throughout the years has gathered the best male tennis players from around the globe.

Amongst some of the major clashes that have already taken place are the Murray vs Lopez game which brought lots of expectation; specially on the young Britton who was an unknown option to advance to a second round due to his retiring from the Valencia Open previously due to injuries. Despite the odds Murray was able to pull off a relaxing victory over the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 7-6, 6-4.

Other clay surprises were those of Volandri vs Mahut match which finished 6-2, 6-3 in favour of the Italian player; followed by the ousting of the ninth seeded Frenchman Mathieu who lost to Serbian Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

From what we have witnessed until now it is very likely this year's tournament will bring plenty of action and interesting matches as the big names in the ATP top ten begin to appear on the scheduled list. 2008 Australian Open and Indian Wells winner Novak Djokovic could be a possible rival for Murray in a third round match. Djokovic has made it clear to all of us that he is in active pursue of the number one position as he possesses all the tools and skills to achieve such goal. Nevertheless; the Serb is very aware of the fact he will encounter the man who has dominated the red surfaces over the past years; Spaniard Rafa Nadal and who is not willing to surrender his crown any time soon.

Nadal is the 3-in-a-row Monte Carlo King since his first win back in 2005 over Argentinean Coria 6-3, 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 followed by two consecutive defeats over world number one Roger Federer in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Nadal holds a 93-1 clay-court record which he persistently kept to 81-0 previously to his loss at the German Open to counterpart Federer last year. Nadal's record also includes three French Grand Slam titles besides wins in Rome and Hamburg. But this year, the Spaniard will have to juggle a new trick in order to continue his reign due to the regular European clay tournament schedule changes because of the Beijing Olympic Games next month of August.

The Spaniard made a statement regarding the current situation ... "The calendar is completely crazy," Nadal said yesterday in Monte Carlo. "I think it's not fair to the European players and the clay-court players, too. Three Masters in four weeks, it is too much. They [the ATP] say this is an Olympic year, that is very nice, but the truth is they put Indian Wells and Miami back [actually forward] because of the college [basketball]."

It will be very interesting to see whether the Nadal era will prevail if he is able to win his fourth uninterrupted title; a win-streak which had not been witnessed since 1971 when Ilie Nastase won three consecutive times.

However; there are plenty of factors to take into account; to begin we have a recovered Federer who has just won at the Estoril Open in Portugal; then there are Spaniard David Ferrer whose game is most aggressive on clay and he seems to be going through the best time in his career; just this weekend he grasped the crown at the Valencia Open winning over fellowman Almagro in three sets.

As a tennis fan I must admit this tournament is a tough call as more players keep lining up to take the trophy home and get on course to the French Grand Slam at Roland Garros next month.

Claudia Beckford provides outstanding Tennis Masters Series content as well as information in the sports betting industry.

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