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5/3/09 1:11 AM | Kelli DeMario
A solid field of ATP World Tour players is ready for action at the BMW Open this week. Fernando Gonzalez heads the list of seeded players.
Defending champion Fernando Gonzalez makes his return to Munich, set for an opening-round clash with Julian Benneteau of France. The Chilean star won the BMW Open championships in 2008, defeating Italian Simone Bolelli in three grueling sets, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. Gonzalez captured his 10th title on that finals Sunday, his first in Munich. The 28-year-old has played well the last couple of weeks, reaching the semifinals in Barcelona and the Masters Series Rome. Gonzalez holds a perfect 5-0 record at the BMW Open.
Rising talent Marin Cilic of Croatia, competing in his second BMW Open, is the tournament's second seed. The 20-year-old Croat battled into the quarterfinals in 2008, falling to Paul-Henri Mathieu of France in three sets, 2-6, 6-4, 3-6. Cilic began the 2009 in terrific fashion, capturing the championships in Chennai and Zagreb. The world No. 15 turned in a solid showing at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia a week ago, battling into the round of 16 before going out to an in-form Juan Monaco of Argentina.
Spaniard Nicolas Almagro joins Gonzalez and Cilic as the No. 3 seed this week. Almagro makes his second appearance in Munich, his first since debuting in 2005. The 23-year-old failed to win a match in his tournament debut, bowing out to veteran German Tommy Haas in the first round, 7-5, 6-3. The former world No. 11, struggling to find consistent form in 2009, turned in his best showing at the event in Acapulco. Almagro snagged the title-match win over Frenchman Gael Monfils at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, 6-4, 6-4.
Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, entering the event as the fourth seed, looks to jump start his 2009 season at the BMW Open. The former Top 10 player made his tournament debut in 2007, marching into the semifinal round. Berdych has floundered in 2009, unable to advance past the round of 16 in nine consecutive events. The 24-year-old crashed out of the Master Series Rome a week ago, suffering an opening-round loss to 21-year-old German qualifier Mischa Zverev.
Veteran Germans Rainer Schuettler and Nicolas Kiefer join Paul-Henri Mathieu of France and Russian Igor Kunitsyn to round out the top 8 seeds.
The field includes a collection of established players and rising young talent. Ernests Gulbis, Evgeny Korolev and Rome quarterfinalist Mischa Zverev will be in action this week. Former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, receiving a wildcard into the BMW Open, aims for his 500th ATP World Tour match win.
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