July 11, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 25, 1428

BASTAD (Sweden), July 10: Defending champion and top seed Tommy Robredo lost his opening match at the Swedish Open on Monday to Peruvian Luis Horna 6-1, 1-6, 6-1.

The 25-year-old Spaniard, who beat Russian Nikolay Davydenko in a one-sided final last year, was unable to cope with the aggressive tactics of Horna, who won several decisive points with his frequent net approaches.

“Coming in here with the title, you want to do good so for sure I am disappointed,” said Robredo, the world No 8.

Finn Jarkko Nieminen, the third seed, joined Robredo among the casualties of the day by losing to Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-4, 6-2.

Horna, after a lapse of concentration in the second set, broke Robredo's opening service game in the deciding set and never looked back.

The Peruvian won on his second match point in his service game, having broken the Spaniard again to 5-1.

Earlier in the day Robredo's compatriot Carlos Moya easily disposed of Ivan Navarro Pastor, another Spaniard, 6-2, 6-4.

Moya, the 1998 French Open champion and a winner here in 2002, now takes on the winner of the tie between Spain's Oscar Hernandez and Swede Thomas Johansson.

Monday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

First round: 5-Filippo Volandri (Italy) beat Federico Luzzi (Italy) 4-6, 7-5, 6-1; Olivier Rochus (Belgium) beat 3-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 6-4, 6-2; Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Filip Prpic (Sweden) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1; Luis Horna (Peru) beat 1-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-1, 1-6, 6-1; Nicolas Massu (Chile) beat Evgeny Korolev (Russia) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; 4-Carlos Moya (Spain) beat Ivan Navarro (Spain) 6-2, 6-4; Lukas

Dlouhy (Czech Republic) beat Michael Ryderstedt (Sweden) 6-1, 6-4.

RAIN HITS SWISS OPEN

GSTAAD (Switzerland): Nikolay Davydenko's boredom threshold after a rain-hit Wimbledon may reach a boil-over following a rain-marred start on Monday at the Swiss Open, where he is playing as top seed.

The world No 5 complained that he could find little to occupy his time during the All England club weather interruptions which only just allowed organisers to finish on time on Sunday as Roger Federer won his fifth Wimbledon title in a row.

And restless Russian Davydenko might have found Monday's five-hour delay due to rain in the Alps far from his liking.

He lost in the first round in 2003 to Frenchman Antony Dupuis while going out at the start in 2005 against Sargis Sargsian.

Compatriot and second seed Mikhail Youzhny, nursing a bad back after losing in the Wimbledon fourth round against Rafael Nadal, was due to open his week against Stefan Koubek.

The poor weather which is not forecast to clear before late on Tuesday, stranded the only two matches which got on court Monday.

German fourth seed Philip Kohlschreiber held a 7-6 (7-0), 6-5 lead over Czech Jan Hernych when their contest was stopped.

Belgian Kristof Vliegen had split sets with former French Open champion Gaston Gaudio 6-4, 6-7 (3-7).

Monday’s results:

First round: Kristof Vliegen (Belgium) beat Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4; 4-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) 7-6 (7-0), 7-6 (7-3).

SPADEA WINS

NEWPORT (Rhode Island): Second-seeded Vincent Spadea defeated fellow American Justin Gimelstob, 6-4, 6-3, in the first round at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships on Monday.

Playing in his first match since being bounced by Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic in the first round of Wimbledon, Spadea had four aces and won 72 percent of the first-serve points.

Last year, Spadea was shocked by then-340th-ranked American Robert Kendrick in the first round of the Ocean State tournament.

Gimelstob, who fell to Australian Mark Philippoussis in last year's tournament final, has yet to taste victory this year, losing all seven of his matches. He tested American Andy Roddick before falling in three tough sets at Wimbledon.

Spadea advanced in the grasscourt event to face the winner between Germany's Nicolas Kiefer and Chile's Paul Capdeville.

In another match involving a seeded player, Croatian Roko Karanusic defeated sixth-seeded Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili, 6-4, 6-3.

Also, eighth-seeded German Michael Berrer defeated Australian Chris Guccione, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

Monday’s results:

First round: 2-Vince Spadea (US) beat Justin Gimelstob (US) 6-4, 6-3; Wesley Moodie (South Africa) beat Thiago Alves (Brazil) 6-3, 6-4; 8-Michael Berrer (Germany) beat Chris Guccione (Australia) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5); Roko Karanusic (Croatia) beat 6-Teimuraz Gabashvili (Russia) 6-4, 6-3; Frank Dancevic (Canada) beat Kevin Kim (US) 6-3, 6-3.—Agencies