BARCELONA, April 19: Former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson rattled off a whirlwind 6-2 6-1 win over Austria’s Stefan Koubek in the first round of the Barcelona Open on Monday. The ninth-seeded Swede, the 2002 winner in Australia, will face Belgium’s Xavier Malisse, who disposed of Philipp Kohlschreiber with an equally emphatic 6-1 6-2 victory, in the second round of the 850,000 euro ($1.10 million) claycourt tournament.

Thai Paradorn Srichaphan was a comfortable 6-2 6-1 winner over Kenneth Carlsen, overpowering the Dane with some pounding forehands and pin-point passing shots despite the blustery conditions.

Paradorn, who lost to Carlos Moya in the final in Madras at the start of the year, cashed in on an error-strewn performance from Carlsen to break twice in the second set and serve out to record his first claycourt win of the season.

Tenth seed Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia also brushed aside Frenchman Jerome Haehnel 6-1 6-1, but there were defeats for Igor Andreev and former French Open champion Albert Costa.

Results (first round):

Juan Monaco (Argentina) bt Igor Andreev (Russia) 6-3 2-6 6-3; Max Mirnyi (Belarus) bt Albert Costa (Spain) 7-6(4) 3-6 7-6(2); Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) bt Hyung-Taik Lee (South Korea) 6-4 7-6(4); Feliciano Lopez (Spain) bt Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 6-4 6-2; Felix Mantilla (Spain) bt Michael Llodra (France) 6-2 6-1; Jose Acasuso (Argentina) bt Fernando Vicente (Spain) 7-5 6-4; Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 6-3 6-1; Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) bt Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) 6-2 6-1; Peter Wessels (Netherlands) bt Cyril Saulnier (France) 6-3 6-3; Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) bt Jerome Haehnel (France) 6-1 6-1; Potito Starace (Italy) bt Teimuraz Gabashvili (Russia) 6-1 6-1; Francisco Fogues (Spain) bt Christophe Rochus (Belgium) 7-6(10) 1-6 6-3; Xavier Malisse (Belgium) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 6-1 6-2; Thomas Johansson (Sweden) beat Stefan Koubek (Austria) 6-2 6-1

Grosjean, Melzer WIN

HOUSTON (Texas): Sixth seed Sebastien Grosjean and No. 7 Jurgen Melzer advanced to the second round of the US Clay Court Championships Here on Monday, while second-seeded Andre Agassi warmed up for singles action with a rare doubles appearance.

France’s Grosjean defeated Bjorn Phau of Germany 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, while Austria’s Melzer beat Argentina’s Mariano Puerta 6-3, 6-3.

Results: (first round):

Jurgen Melzer (AUT) bt Mariano Puerta (ARG) 6-3, 6-3; Alex Calatrava (ESP) bt Donald Young (USA) 6-1, 6-4; Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) bt Bjorn Phau (GER) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5; Robby Ginepri (USA) bt Mardy Fish (USA) 6-1, 6-4.—Agencies