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Nice, France – Ricardas Berankis was a first-round winner Sunday at the $530,000 Nice Open, a final clay-court French Open tune-up.
Berankis topped Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin, the No. 8 seed, 6-2, 6-2 at the Nice Lawn Tennis Club.
The Lithuanian will play Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the second round. The French wild card advanced when Colombian Alejandro Falla retired with a left calf injury after dropping the first set 7-5.
Spaniard Nicolas Almagro captured a second straight Nice title by beating American Brian Baker in last year's finale.
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