Former US Open champion Andy Roddick is the top seed at the €680,250 Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon played at the delightfully intimate Palais des Sports de Gerland here in the south of Lyon. 

The 2005 Lyon champion who loves to play at this event is making his first return after winning the title having pulled out last year due to injury. The American world number 5 who has already qualified for Shanghai for the fifth year running, has a tricky opening round match against the wily French veteran Fabrice Santoro and will likely face another stern test in the second round should he face Sebastian Grosjean.

Indeed, as ever, the French are very well represented in this home event with no less than 13 in the main draw, including the defending champion Richard Gasquet, seeded 4 this year. The mercurial Frenchman has had an up and down year, and will need another good performance here to stand any chance of qualifying for the end of year Masters Cup. He has a pretty good draw and should comfortably reach the quarters where he is scheduled to face compatriot Gilles Simon, champion in Marseille and Bucharest this year. A mouth-watering semi-final clash with Roddick is a very real prospect should both fulfill their seeded expectations. Roddick suffered a heart rending defeat at the hands of the talented Frenchman at Wimbledon and should they meet, he will take great pleasure in beating him in his own backyard.

Tommy Robredo, seeded 2, who has somehow managed to stay in the top 10 all year, has a difficult opening round match against last year's beaten finalist Marc Gicquel. The fiery Frenchman will be tough to beat in front of his home crowd, and the Spaniard will have to play somewhere near his best to survive. In fact, Robredo will need to be at his best throughout this event as he has a very tough draw. A second round match against dangerous floaters Benjamin Becker or Arnaud Clement looms large, followed by a probable quarterfinal against the very promising Argentine Juan Monaco, seeded 6.

Tommy Haas, seeded 3, has pulled out having failed to recover from gastroenteritis which he picked up in Russia two weeks ago. That opens the door for dangerous floaters Igor Andreev and Andreas Seppi to progress deep in the tournament, especially Seppi, the in-form Italian who has been in sensational form since reaching the final of Gstaad back in July. 

He will fancy his chances should he come through to face Ivan Ljubicic, seeded 5, in the quarters. However, the big serving Croat who has been struggling lately will do well to justify his seeding particulary in view of the fact that he has to first of all beat American giant Sam Querry in round one.

Tempestuous Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, seeded 7, returns to Lyon once again. He has a tough opener against the experienced big serving American Mardy Fish whom he lost to in Vienna two weeks ago in 3 tight sets. Sould he survive he will play the talented Belgian Olivier Rochus or doubles specialist and awkward left-handed singles player Michael Llodra.

DRAW

ANDY RODDICK(1) v FABRICE SANTORO

SEBASTIAN GROSJEAN v RODOLPHE CADART

EDOUARD ROGER-VASSELIN v JULIEN BENNETEAU

ANDREI PAVEL v GILLES SIMON(8)

RICHARD GASQUET(4) v CHRISTOPHE ROCHUS

VINCENT SPADEA v J-WILFRIED TSONGA

OLIVIER ROCHUS v MICHAEL LLODRA

MARDY FISH v NICHOLAS ALMAGRO(7)

IVAN LJUBICIC(5) v SAM QUERRY

THIERRY ASCIONE v JANKO TIPSAREVIC

OLIVER MARACH v ANDREAS SEPPI

IGOR ANDREEV v ALEJANDRO FALLA 

JUAN MONACO(6) v SEBASTIAN DE CHAUNAC

DIEGO HARTFIELD v NICHOLAS MAHUT

ARNAUD CLEMENT v BENJAMIN BECKER

MARC GICQUEL v TOMMY ROBREDO(2)

Andre Jones

Palais des Sports de Gerland

Lyon