Vina del Mar, Chile –  Four-time tournament champion Fernando seeded Albert Montanes each posted opening-round victories Tuesday at the $398,250 VTR Open tennis event.

Gonzalez handled Pere Riba of Spain 6-4, 6-4 in his 2012 season debut at Club Naval de Campo Las Salinas. The former top-five star and former Australian Open runner-up missed most of the 2011 season with a knee injury.

The Chilean last won this event in 2009 and was a runner-up here in 2005.

The two-time VTR Open semifinalist Montanes handled qualifier and fellow Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-2, 6-4.

Meanwhile, seventh-seeded Argentine Carlos Berlocq moved on with a 7-5, 6-0 decision against Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver.

Federico Del Bonis of Argentina took down two-time Vina del Mar finalist Nicolas Massu 6-0, 6-3.

Other first-round winners were Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, Portuguese Frederico Gil, Argentines Horacio Zeballos and Diego Junqueira and Brazilian qualifier Rogerio Dutra Da Silva.

The 2012 Vina del Mar champion will collect $71,900.