Reigning champion Novak Djokovic is out to defend his Rome Masters title here this week and possibly hand all-conquering Rafael Nadal only his second defeat in claycourt finals.
Nadal, who had blister trouble to suffer a second-round exit here last year, continued his dominance with the Monte Carlo last week, his fifth straight win in the Principality, and is out to make it four out of the last five in Rome.
''Rafa's the No.1 favourite for all the tournaments played on this surface,'' said Djokovic, who was the beaten finalist in Monte Carlo.
''I'm the champ here this year so I know there'll be extra pressure and expectations but I feel good and I hope I play a good tournament,'' said the Serb, who is world No.3 behind Spain's Nadal and No.2 Roger Federer of Switzerland.
Federer, who reached the final here in 2003 and 2006 (one of Nadal's three Rome wins), said he was doing his best to become No.1 again ''but what really counts is winning the French Open,'' the one Grand Slam that has eluded him and where he has recently been no match for Nadal.
''Being second, third, eighth or tenth in the world isn't a problem,'' said Federer, who said he had been ''working hard in Italy over the last few days'' and was confident of producing better form than in Montecarlo, his first outing after getting married to longtime girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec.
World No.4 Andy Murray, who beat Nadal in a classic New York semi last year but has never got past the second round in Rome, is in Nadal's half of the draw along with world No.6 Fernando Verdasco and No.7 Nikolay Davidenko, who has produced some of his best tennis at the Foro Italico.
Djokovic's side features Federer, No.5 Juan Martin Del Potro and No.8 Gilles Simon.
Overall, the 66th edition of the Rome tournament features a higher-class cast than in recent years with 39 of the world's top 45 battling it out from Monday until Sunday May 3.
In the women's tournament, world No. 4 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia will be looking to defend her title against the Willams sisters - Serena No.1, Venus No.5 - and Russian pair Dinara Safina (No.2) and Elena Dementieva (No.3) from May 1 to 9.
