Big Names Headline Strong Qualifying Field

On your mark, get set…and go!

Play got underway Saturday at 11 at the Monte-Carlo Country Club as 28 players in the qualifying rounds began their quest for the remaining seven berths in the main draw.

Among famous players in action are Frenchmen Arnaud Clément, Julien Benneteau and Marc Gicquel, along with 2002 Australian Open championThomas Johansson, who meets Monaco's own Benjamin Balleret.

Other big-name players in the qualifying include Dominik Hrbaty, Jonas Bjorkman, Nicolas Lapentti and Spaniards Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Abert Montanes and Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo, who are all clay-court specialists.

For French fans, write down the Franco-French duels (Recouderc-Ascione and Benneteau-Guez) which highlight an outstanding day of action.