Andy Murray won the Madrid Open last year but must fight his way through the worlds best players to defend his crown. Sky Live: Madrid Open Were live all week on Sky Sports Murray defeated clay court king Rafael Nadal 12 months ago to lift the Madrid title, a prize he first collected eight years ago to stake his claim as a talent worth keeping an eye on.Sky Sports have tried to plot Murrays route to this years final... Radek Stepanek - round of 32 Radek Stepanek has the first crack at Murray The Czech defeated Vasek Pospisil for the right to play Murray, and interestingly owns a victory in their recent match. That was two years ago at Queens, but Murray has an overall 5-2 winning record against the 37-year-old.Traditionally, Murray doesnt adapt to the clay season particularly quickly so Stepaneks best chances of a shock result could lay with the Brits rusty habits.Gilles Simon - last 16 Gilles Simon strikes a smash The Frenchman must first steer himself beyond Marcos Baghdatis then, in all likelihood, the unseeded Grigor Dimitrov to book a tie against Murray.Simon is the 16th seed in Madrid but also has a very poor head-to-head record against the Dunblane man. Murray has won 13 of their 15 matches - Simon won their very first meeting 11 years ago but also won in Rotterdam last year.Murray has won all four of their meetings at the Madrid Open and has also notched up clay court wins in Hamburg and Monte Carlo against this possible opponent.Tomas Berdych - quarter-final Kim Sears explicit language intensified the Murray-Berdych rivalry The Czech player is a long-time rival and an ominous potential opponent should both men secure quarter-final spots.Personal animosity stems from Berdychs use of Dani Vallverdu, who previously worked with Murray, as his coach. Murrays future wife Kim Sears became embroiled last year after swearing during a previous match between the pair.The world No 8 Berdych is on the wrong end of a 6-7 record against Murray, which is a very respectable tally considering one of his wins was during the 2013 Madrid Open. In total, three of Berdychs wins have been on clay. Expect more fireworks if both players advance this far.Rafa Nadal - semi-final Rafa Nadal has won eight of nine clay court games against Murray The greatest ever clay court players hopes of making the semi-final will have been boosted by Roger Federers late withdrawal - they were due to collide at the quarter-final stage.The path has become clearer for Nadal to force a rematch against Murray of last years final. The Spaniard holds a remarkable record against the Brit given the struggles with injury he has suffered in recent years - Nadal has won 17 and lost just six, and has won four of the last five.Murray may have beaten the clay king on his own patch last year, but Nadal has won their other nine meetings on the red dirt. Novak Djokovic - final Novak Djokovic has won his last five against Murray Intriguingly, the Djokovic-Murray wrote its first ever chapter at the 2006 Madrid Open before either man had reached the pinnacle of the sport that they now dominate.A decade ago, the mighty Serb won the last-16 clash and has won all three of their clay court match since - a worrying trend which Murray must try to buck in 2016.Djokovic, before entertaining the thought of this game, must negotiate a kind route into the semi-finals where No 7 seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is the most daunting test.Assuming Djokovic reaches the last match as expected, the world No 1 will aim for a fourth consecutive victory against Murray - he has won 11 of their last 12 matches dating back to the Brits famous 2012 Wimbledon triumph.Watch the Madrid Open on Sky Sports until the final on Sunday May 8. 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Possibly creating a set of guidelines to prevent locker-room bullying.TEMPE, Ariz. -- Mike Trout has his first seven-figure contract. Up ahead is what figures to be a nine-figure deal. "It feels good," Trout said Wednesday after agreeing to a $1 million, one-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels. The salary is the highest for a one-year major league contract for a player not yet eligible for arbitration who wasnt coming to the big leagues from Japan or Cuba or wasnt required to have a larger amount because of the maximum cut rule. Ryan Howard earned $900,000 with Philadelphia in 2007 and Albert Pujols with St. Louis in 2003. Trout will become eligible for arbitration after this season and could become a free agent after the 2017 World Series. The sides are thought to be discussing an agreement through 2020 in the $150 million range. Trout wouldnt talk about the possibility of a multiyear contract. "I just go out there to play the game," he said. "If the money is where its at, thats where its going to be." By agreeing to a one-year contract now with the 22-year-old, the Angels avoid having a long-term deal count toward their 2014 luxury tax payroll. "Its a landmark to do a $1 million with a two-plus player," Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said. "I think its fitting and Mikes earned that and were glad to provide that for him." Trout was voted AL Rookie of the Year and finished second in MVP voting in 2012, when he hit .dddddddddddd326 with 30 homers and 83 RBIs, and led the majors with 129 runs and 49 steals. He was second again to Detroits Miguel Cabrera in MVP voting last year, when he batted .323 with a .432 on-base percentage, 27 homers, 97 RBIs and 33 steals. "We thought his performance was exceptional," Dipoto said. "There are players that force you to break rules. What he did for two consecutive years forced us to break our own rule. His performance certainly merited us to do differently than any of the others." Trout had a $482,500 salary as a rookie and earned a $10,000 bonus for winning Rookie of the Year. The Angels renewed his contract last year for $510,000 -- just $20,000 above the major league minimum at the time. "The Angels could have easily just done the same thing that they did last year," Trout said. "It makes you feel good inside. It makes you feel like they really want you here. It means a lot to me." NOTES: Because of the maximum cut rule, some players not eligible for arbitration have had higher salaries. Shortstop Jose Iglesias agreed to a deal with Detroit in January that pays $1.65 million while in the major leagues and $1,237,500 while in the minors. The major league base represents the maximum 20 per cent cut from the average of the $8.25 million, four-year deal he completed. ' ' '