Rafael Nadal brings his clay game home to Spain for the first time this season as he defends another 2005 title as top seed at the Barcelona Open starting on Monday.
The Spanish world number two will benefit from the bye handed to the first eight seeds, giving the 19-year-old Roland Garros holder some breathing space after playing in the Monte Carlo Masters final against Roger Federer on Sunday.
Nadal heads a list of 18 other compatriots in the 56-player field at the historic Real Club 1899.
The top seed won the trophy here a year ago, one of the eight titles on clay he lifted in a soaraway 2005 which was crowned by his French Open victory.
Nadal will likely not face his opening test until midweek.
Russian Nikolay Davydenko takes the second seeding, starting in the second round against one of two huge servers in Max Mirnyi of Belarus or Croatian Ivo Karlovic.
Monte Carlo quarter-finalist Guillermo Coria is seeded third, followed by Czech Radek Stepanek and Spaniards David Ferrer and Tommy Robredo.
Finn Jarkko Nieminen will hope to recover from a Monte Carlo first-round defeat as he plays on the seventh seeding.
The event has been won for four of the last five years by home players, Carlos Moya, Robredo and Nadal claiming the last three titles.
Briton Andy Murray, who trained in Barcelona for several years, returns for the second straight edition, opening with a first-round encounter against Spanish wild card Marcel Granollers-Pujol, ranked 291. The 18-year-old lost here in the first round a year ago.
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