Updated at 7:21 a.m., Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tennis: Davydenko loses in Dutch Open first round
Associated Press
AMERSFOORT, Netherlands — Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko lost in the first round of the Dutch Open when Florent Serra rallied from a set down today to win 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.Davydenko broke Serra once in the first set and again in the first game of the second set. The Frenchman, ranked 81st in the world, then won six straight games to tie the match.
The Russian favorite again struggled with his serve in the final set and Serra broke him three times to advance to the second round.
Second seed Mikhail Youzhny also advanced with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina.
The Russian is seeking his second title of the season in the Netherlands after winning the ABN Amro tournament in Rotterdam earlier this year.
Third-seeded Carlos Moya beat Christophe Rochus 6-2, 6-3.
In other matches, fourth-seeded Italian Filippo Volandri beat Oscar Hernandez 6-2, 6-4 and Igor Andreev defeated Janko Tipsarevic 6-1, 6-1. Eighth-seeded Marc Gicquel lost 6-3, 6-4 to Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis, and Werner Eschauer beat Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (1), 6-4.
In a first-round match suspended Monday night because of rain and darkness, Sergio Roitman beat Jeremy Chardy 7-6 (5), 6-1, dominating on Tuesday after the match was tied at 6 when it was called off. Thiemo de Bakker beat Nicolas Massu 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5).
