STUTTGART, (Germany) July 16: Outsider Tomas Behrend stormed into the third round of the 765,000-euros Mercedes Cup on Wednesday, but a brief rainstorm almost caught out fellow German Rainer Schuettler as he tried to rush to victory.

Behrend, ranked 98th in the world, inflicted an early defeat on top seed Carlos Moya as the Spaniard returned to the Weissenhof club after an absence of four years only to lose 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2).

Schuettler, the Australian Open finalist who reached the last four in Indian Wells and Sydney, was unhindered early on as he blasted wild card compatriot Maximillian Abel, winning the first set 6-2.

But with a summer storm blowing in to break a torrid heatwave, the third seed got ahead of himself as he tried to force a conclusion before the weather arrived.

Australian Open finalist Schuettler dropped serve for 3-4 as the wind whipped up and raindrops fell. But he managed to recover in the less-than-ideal conditions as play continued to claim a 6-2, 6-4 win.

Behrend, a 28-year-old with only 14 matches played at the ATP level this season, scored the biggest shock of a changeable afternoon.

The world number 98 hammered Moya in one hour, 42 minutes, leaving the Spaniard pondering his errors.

“It’s the first time this season I’ve lost an opening match, sooner or later it had to happen,” said Moya. “I wasn’t able to find a rhythm, that often happens in first matches.

“I made too many easy mistakes. I served for the first set 6-5 but couldn’t win it. Today was not my day. He hit the ball hard and took his chances - I didn’t. I have no excuses.”

Behrend admitted that he was helped to victory by a charged-up public on the clay of the Weissenhof club, adding that: “I risked a lot. I had to play aggressive or I had no chance at all.”

The German, who beat another former world number 1, Chile’s Marcelo Rios, at Dusseldorf in May, said that luck turned against the favourite late in the first set.

“At 6-5 he missed some easy forehands. I played a great tie-break and began thinking that maybe I had a winning chance.”

Rising Italian Filippo Volandri, ranked 60th, put out Wimbledon semi-fiinalist Grosjean with ease 6-2, 6-1, while Spain’s David Ferrer accounted for Ljubicic 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.

Last weekend’s Swiss Open champion Jiri Novak, seeded fifth, began his campaign with a victory, defeating Sargis Sargsian of Armenia 6- 4, 6-4.

RESULTS