MONACO: Tenth-seeded Fabio Fognini of Italy and 11th-seeded Tommy Robredo of Spain reached the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters in contrasting styles on Monday.

Fognini was two points away from defeat before rallying to beat Joao Sousa 5-7, 7-5, 6-4, while Robredo was more solid against qualifier David Goffin, beating the Belgian player 6-4, 6-1.

Sousa led 5-2 and 30-0 on Fognini’s serve, but the Portuguese player lost his composure and then started complaining to the chair umpire at end of the second set and midway through the third.

The 10th-seeded Fognini was the highest seeded player in action on Monday in the event.

Fognini failed to serve out the first set at 5-4 and then his game fell apart. After Fognini had served out the second set, the crowd jeered Sousa — who had received a warning during the first set.

Fognini next plays Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, who beat Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 6-2.

In other first-round matches, there were victories for Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, Czech players Radek Stepanek and Lukas Rosol; and Spaniards Albert Montanes, Albert Ramos and Pablo Andujar.

Rosol beat Evgeny Donskoy 7-5, 6-1; Kohlschreiber won 6-3, 6-4 against Simone Bolelli; Stepanek thrashed Ivo Karlovic 6-1, 6-2; Ramos beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 7-5 and Andujar downed Edouard Roger-Vasselin 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5).—AP

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