1.   He beat Corretja in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo tournament, before winning the major clay court event.

2.   Last month in Monte Carlo, Henman reached his first ever semifinal in a major clay tournament.

3.   Moya already has a major clay court title this year, at Monte Carlo.

4.   Moya beat Corretja in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo tournament, before winning the major clay court event.

5.   Muster, who has won all the major clay tournaments, once again failed to capture the BMW Open.

6.   Speaking of futility, Becker, one of the big crowd favorites at the Foro Italico, is still seeking the first major clay court title of his career.

7.   The event is the first major outdoor clay court tournament of the season and the third stage in the Masters Series circuit.

8.   The Monte Carlo Open is recognized as the first major clay court tournament that leads up to the French Open in Paris at the end of May.

9.   They took turns beating each other in major clay court finals.

10.   Andrei Medvedev, winner of two major clay court titles this season and a quarter-finalist at the French Open, continued to learn his trade on grass.