The Todi Challenger gets underway this week with several Argentines leading the title contenders.
Carlos Berlocq is the defending champion and top seed and the world number 75 will be keen to get back on his favoured clay after a bit of a humiliation at the US Open. Berlocq made the second round but then ran into Novak Djokovic and narrowly avoided becoming the first man in 24 years to be triple bagelled. Berlocq already has one challenger title to his name this year and he's the favourite to add another.
Fifth seed Leo Mayer is the next likely champ, the former Argentine Davis Cup player coming back into form over the past few weeks. Mayer is competing in the Genova final as I write and he's looked a class act all week, not dropping a set. He could face Berlocq in a fascinating quarter-final.
Third seed Diego Junqueira will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing round one defeat in Genova to a qualifier. Junqueira made the second round of the US Open and had not really had enough chance to adjust to the clay after a quick trans-Atlantic flight. He should do better this week.
Home hopes are led by veteran Filippo Volandri who's second seed after taking a wildcard. Volandri had to retire from Genova in the second round last week but appears to have recovered. He's very inconsistent these days, winning the Orbetello title in July but aside from that you have to go back to May to find the last time he made the quarters.
