Madrid Preview

With former Grand Slam champions Serena Williams, Justine Henin, Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova back in business, and a string of established and up-and-coming contenders also on hand, magic is in the air in Madrid this week for the second staging of the €3.5-million Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open.

Last year the Spanish capital didn't see the best of Serena, who retired in her opener against Francesca Schiavone. But in Rome this past week the world No.1 proved that playing top notch tennis can be a bit like riding a bicycle, picking up pretty much where she left off before injury sidelined her after her Australian Open triumph.

Nothing new there, but there has been change during Serena's absence. For one thing her closest rival is now Caroline Wozniacki, who as No.2 in the rankings is seeded second this week. Wozniacki reached the final here 12 months ago, which was arguably her biggest result to that point; after an early loss in Rome she'd no doubt love to do even better this time.

Wozniacki's conqueror last year was, of course, Dinara Safina. While winning Madrid proved to be the high point of the Russian's stint at No.1, but it may be too much to hope for a repeat performance just yet. Safina has gone 1-2 since returning from a back injury a couple of weeks ago, and will need to find her old brilliance quickly against feisty Aravane Rezai. Whoever wins that match may well bump into Henin, who collected the first trophy of her comeback at Stuttgart a week ago.

Ever resourceful Venus Williams is seeded fourth, while Svetlana Kuznetsova, seeded fifth, and Elena Dementieva, seeded sixth, are always in the hunt. But both Russians have had disappointing clay seasons so far and will be keen to rectify that ahead of Roland Garros.

Jankovic is the No.7 seed, and coming off a great week in Rome where she handed Venus a 60 61 drubbing in the quarterfinals. However, she bumps straight into fellow Serb Ana Ivanovic. Having missed the ranking cut-off for direct entry, Ivanovic was granted a wildcard into the main draw, and due to her semifinal run at Rome was also given a first round bye. But suddenly that doesn't look like such a good thing for the resurgent former No.1.

In-form Samantha Stosur, winner at Charleston and runner-up to Henin at Stuttgart, is seeded eighth. The Aussie will have her clay court nous tested from the get-go, though, as she faces Gisela Dulko in the first round; the winner then faces María José Martínez Sánchez, who also benefits from a first round bye by virtue of reaching the semis in Rome.

Lurking ever dangerously in the second tier of seedings at No.10 is Victoria Azarenka, followed by No.11 seed Maria Sharapova, playing her first tournament since Indian Wells, when an elbow injury set in. Kim Clijsters is the only Top 20 player missing, due to the foot injury she sustained at Fed Cup last month.

In addition to Ivanovic, wildcards have gone to Austrian veteran Sybille Bammer, China's Peng Shuai, and Spaniards Virginia Ruano Pascual and Arantxa Parra Santonja.

The Williams sisters are the top seeds in the doubles, ahead of Spanish duo Nuria Lllagostera Vives and Martínez Sánchez.