Article

  • Santoro, Monfils looking forward to Nadal

    1/4/09 5:38 PM | Ricky Dimon
    Santoro, Monfils looking forward to Nadal Veteran Frenchman Fabrice Santoro has drawn No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal in the first round of the season-opening event in Doha, Qatar. Santoro's compatriot Gael Monfils could meet Nadal in the quarterfinals.

    With the strength of the seeds at this week's Qatar ExxonMobil Open, there were few opportunities for unseeded players to receive a favorable draw. Fabrice Santoro, however, was perhaps the unluckiest of them all when the draw was revealed on Saturday.

    The 36-year-old Frenchman has to play top-seeded Rafael Nadal in the first round.

    Santoro, along with countryman Gael Monfils, was present at the draw ceremony. "Is it? It's me? Then happy new year," Santoro remarked sarcastically as his unfortunate hand was dealt. Monfils, the No. 5 seed also in Nadal's quarter, found the whole thing highly amusing.

    Playing Nadal, however, will be no laughing matter for Santoro. "It won't be easy for me at all," he explained. "You never expect to meet the best at the beginning of the new year. Having been on the circuit for so many years I will still say that it will be an experience for me going into the long season ahead."

    An apparently confident Monfils, meanwhile, is already looking ahead to a potential quarterfinal showdown with the Spaniard. "I'll have to get through these early rounds and then see how I can play against Nadal in the quarters," said the 22-year-old.

    Under the tutelage of new coach Roger Rasheed and coming off a stellar end to the 2008 season, Monfils is eagerly anticipating a successful 2009 campaign. "I have been working hard with him," Monfils said of Rasheed. "I won't say that I'm playing the best of my tennis but yes I'm working towards reaching that level. Qatar has always been to my liking and I am looking forward to the challenge."

    Roger Federer, seeded second, is also in the field, followed by Andy Murray and Andy Roddick. Nadal begins his 2009 ATP season on Monday in doubles with fellow Spaniard Marc Lopez.

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