Majestic piazzas include Piazza San Carlo, a pedestrian open-air salon.

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Nadal bounced back from his Monte Carlo final defeat to win the Barcelona Open title for the eighth time in nine years.

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However, he has never won the French Open -- and the Monte Carlo final will be a big test of his aspirations to conquer all surfaces.

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But Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal , who defeated French Open champion Albert Costa at the Monte Carlo Masters last week, made progress.

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However, there never looked any liklihood of history repeating itself this time around as Nadal became the first man in history to win three clay-court titles in a year prior to the French Open, following his recent successes in both Monte Carlo and Rome.

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Gasquet, the US Open junior champion, had faced Safin at the Monte Carlo Masters in April when he managed to win only five games.

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Nadal, beaten by World No.1 Novak Djokovic in the Monte Carlo final Sunday, is using the Barcelona tournament to tune-up for the French Open in Paris next month where he is defending champion and bidding for an eighth crown.

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