Casablanca ATP Tournament Preview

The Grand Prix Hassan II is entirely funded by Morocco's King Mohammed VI. The event is held at the Al Amal Complex in Casablanca, Morocco on clay. The conditions are slower then in Houston but still are on fast side then a usual clay court and players with solid serve packed with solid defense usually do well here. In three of the last four years, French players are a presence in the final but also the tournament has had some surprise winners over the years. The weather is expected to be warm and sunny with temperatures of 26°C from Thursday as rains are expected in the first couple of days. Last year champion is Stanislas Wawrinka. Good luck and bet smart.

• Location: Casablanca, Morocco
• ATP Schedule: Monday, April 4 - Sunday, April 10
• Begins on: Monday, April 4, 2011
• Draw Size: S-28 D-16
• Surface: Clay
• Prize Money: Euro 450,000 ATP
• Tournament Director:
• Official Website: http://www.frmt.ma/
• Casablanca Live Streaming

Baghdatis Lights Up Field
After a string of early exits on the ATP World Tour, Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis has opted to start his clay-court season earlier than planned by taking a wild card into the Grand Prix Hassan II. The 25 year old is making his debut at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament in Casablanca and is bidding for his first clay-court title.

Former Finalist Returns - World No. 22 Albert Montanes is the top-ranked player in the 28-man field and is looking to return to the Casablanca final for a second time after finishing runner-up 2007 (l. to Mathieu).

Hoping To Go One Better - World No. 59 Victor Hanescu of Romania has steadily improved in his five appearances at Casablanca, going from three first-round defeats to reaching the final (l. to Wawrinka) last year.

Former Champ In The Mix - World No. 27 Gilles Simon will look to win his second ATP World Tour title of the season as he returns to Casablanca for the first time since winning the title in 2008 (d. Benneteau).