MONTE CARLO, Monaco — Eight-time winner Rafael Nadal and four-time finalist Roger Federer will line up against a pair of underpowered hopefuls in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters.
Nadal, who is working to return to his previous best on his longtime favorite surface, will open in the second round after a bye against British No. 2 Aljaz Bedene.
The Slovenian-born world No. 60 will face one of the toughest tests on clay when he takes on the Spaniard who dominated with consecutive trophies from 2005-12.
Nadal has never played Bedene.
Federer is 3-0 over Garcia-Lopez as the pair meet for the first time on clay.
Bedene booked his spot against Nadal as he defeated Czech Lukas Rosol 6-2, 6-3 Monday.
Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez made it past Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci 7-5, 6-1 to next face third seed Federer, who is set to play his first match in more than two months after a knee procedure.
Nadal is looking for his first title on any surface since last summer and will willingly make 57th-ranked, Slovenia-born Bedene his first victim of the week in the principality.
Federer most recently lost a Monte Carlo final two years ago against compatriot Stan Wawrinka.
Bedene appears ready to take up his challenge against the mighty Nadal. "I'm playing well, at the moment I'm enjoying playing tennis. It's going to be against Rafa, who I respect. He's one of the best clay-courters.
"It's going to be fun, definitely if I bring my best tennis. I'm not the favorite, but I stand a chance. It's never a good time to play someone like him. But if I can pick any, this is the time."
Two French seeds gave the home public what they wanted in the first round, with No. 9 Richard Gasquet defeating Spain's Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-0 and 13th-seeded Gael Monfils recovering from 2-5 down in the opening set to defeat Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 7-5, 6-0.
Spanish 14th seed Roberto Bautista Agut advanced past compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
German teenager Alexander Zverev continued to impress after holding a match point against Nadal last month at Indian Wells, with the 18-year-old winning his debut match in the principality over longtime junior rival Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-3.
That quick victory in one hour lines up the 54th-ranked Zverev against former Monte Carlo finalist David Ferrer in the second round.
In other results, Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France beat Guido Pella 6-3, 6-4 to next take on second seed Andy Murray.
Austrian 12th seed Dominic Thiem earned a comeback win over Jan-Lennard Struff 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 while Canadian tenth seed Milos Raonic put out Marco Cecchinato 6-3, 7-5.
Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov defeated Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 6-2 and Pablo Carreno Busta stopped Frenchman Stephane Robert 6-3, 6-1.
On Sunday, Gilles Simon saved six of seven break points to advance to the second round.
The 15th-seeded Frenchman beat Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-4, improving his career record against the Serb to 6-0.
Jeremy Chardy of France had eight aces against Russian Andrey Kuznetsov, winning 7-6 (3), 7-5 in a topsy-turvy encounter featuring nine breaks of serve.
Monaco wins clay event
In Houston, Argentina's Juan Monaco took advantage of defending champion Jack Sock's aching shoulder and leg cramps to rally for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory Sunday, winning his second US Men's Clay Court Championship nine months after major wrist surgery.
"It's amazing, amazing to hold the trophy again in only my fourth tournament back, after three years (without a title)," Monaco said. "It's almost like a dream come true for it to happen so fast. The hard work really paid off."
Stephens captures Volvo
American Sloane Stephens outlasted Elena Vesnina to capture her third WTA title this year with a 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory at the Volvo Car Open Sunday.
The seventh-seeded Stephens squandered a 5-2 lead in the opening set before prevailing in a tiebreaker. She let three match points disappear in the contest's final game before Vesnina hit her service return wide to secure the match. — Agencies
