Former World No.1 Marcelo Rios could go head to head with two-time French Open champion Sergi Bruguera for the first time on clay when they compete in the Seat Champions Cup in Barcelona later this month.

Rios, who dominated the BlackRock Tour of Champions with an impressive six titles during the 2006 season, has won two of their three previous meetings, but all were on hard courts. The event in Barcelona will take place 24-27 April, and will be the first of the year for Bruguera, who won seven titles during 2007, finishing the year at the top of the South African Airways rankings.

Bruguera and Rios will also have to contend with the challenge of the 2002 French Open Champion Albert Costa, who will be making his debut on the BlackRock Tour of Champions. Costa retired from the professional tour two years ago, and he will be desperate to prove that he has not lost the clay court prowess that won him the title at Roland Garros.

Spaniards Bruguera and Costa will enjoy the advantage of being on home soil in Barcelona; something which Bruguera admits helped him to win his second consecutive title there last year.

"For all Spanish players it means a lot to play in Barcelona. We all watched the tournament when we were kids so to win here is very nice," he said.

Last year, Bruguera defeated the 1992 Olympic silver medallist Jordi Arrese in the final, and one year earlier he overcame Carlos Costa.

The hard hitting trio of Bruguera, Rios and Albert Costa will be joined on the clay courts at the Real Club de tennis in Barcelona by 1991 Wimbledon Champion Michael Stich and the Swedish pair of Magnus Larsson and Magnus Gustafsson.

After Barcelona, the BlackRock Tour of Champions will move onto the Foro Italico in Rome over the weekend of the 10th and 11th May, and then the BlackRock Tennis Classic at the Rothenbaum Club in Hamburg, 14-18 May.