Estoril Open 2003 News and Events

Fernando Gonzalez
© João Lagos Sports

The 2003 Estoril Open will be guaranteed a new champion this year, with top seeds Jiri Novak, Rainer Schuettler and Sjeng Schalken among those hoping to claim the title.

Novak, the Czech who finished 2002 at No. 7 in the world following runner-up appearances at the Tennis Masters Madrid and Vienna, is looking for his first championship trophy since winning in Gstaad on clay in July 2001. The 28-year-old is making his fifth appearance in Estoril, although he is yet to progress beyond the second round. The top seed opens his campaign against John Van Lottum of the Netherlands and could meet No. 5 seed Tommy Robredo in the quarterfinals.

Second seed Schuettler, the Australian Open finalist, is making his second appearance in Estoril having lost in the first round in 2000 to Bohdan Ulihrach. The German currently lies in second position in the ATP Champions Race 2003 - 103 points behind Andre Agassi - and he is 18-8 so far this year. The 26-year-old, who also has reached semifinals this year in Sydney and the Pacific Life Open, faces rising Spanish star Feliciano Lopez in the first round and is seeded to meet recent Rotterdam champion Max Mirnyi, the No. 7 seed, in the quarterfinals.

Stiff Opposition

Elsewhere in first round action, third seed Schalken will face a stiff opening round encounter against Adelaide winner Nikolay Davydenko, the Russian who broke his wrist in Memphis before returning in Miami, while No. 4 seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile takes on last year's Bucharest winner David Ferrer, having lost to the young Spaniard earlier this year in Auckland.

Former finalist Andrea Gaudenzi, who lost to Thomas Muster in the championship match in 1996, begins his 2003 challenge against fifth seed Robredo, with the winner setting up a potential meeting with Milan champion Martin Verkerk in the second round.

Meanwhile, Yevgeny Kafelnikov goes in search of his first ever victory in Estoril (0-5) when he takes on Irakli Labadze in the first round, and Jarkko Nieminen, last year's finalist and this year's No. 8 seed, faces Potugese wild card Helder Lopes in his opening match.