Friday 28 April 2017 18:35, UK
Andy Murray has joined the list of players who will attempt to deny Rafael Nadal a tenth title when the Barcelona Open gets underway on Sky Sports on Monday.
Fresh from winning the Monte Carlo Masters for a tenth time on Sunday, Nadal heads to his homeland chasing another magnificent feat.
Having first won the Barcelona title in 2005, he beat Kei Nishikori last year to claim his ninth title, the third year in a row two-time champion Nishikori has reached the final.
World No 1 Murray is in the opposite half of the draw as he looks to improve his clay-court game after a third round defeat to Monte Carlo runner-up Albert Ramos-Vinolas last week, with the Spaniard is a possible quarter-final opponent for the Scot this week.
Murray accepted a wild card over the weekend and he has been given a bye into the second round where he will face either Australia's Bernard Tomic or German Dustin Brown.
Britain's Dan Evans and Kyle Edmund are also in action and in Murray's half of the draw where Austria's Dominic Thiem is his seeded semi-final opponent.
The pair met in the first round in Monte Carlo and are potential third round opponents if they come through a tough draw.
Edmund faces France's Jeremy Chardy and a win there will see him through to a meeting with world number nine Thiem while Evans must beat a qualifier in the first round before a second round date with Mischa Zverev.
Nadal's route could feature close friend David Ferrer in the third round and Alexander Zverev the last eight, Nadal cruised past the German on his way to glory in Monte Carlo and if he can beat him again another repeat from the Principality could be on the cards.
David Goffin and Nadal clashed in a controversial semi-final on Saturday and there could be another showdown on the cards in Spain as Nadal chases yet another amazing landmark in his spectacular clay-court career.
You can follow all the action from the Barcelona on Sky Sports this week, the action is underway on Monday from 10am on Sky Sports 3 and for those out and about we will have the action covered on the Sky Sports website and apps
