Barcelona, Spain (SportsNetwork.com) - A trio of Spaniards posted first-round wins Monday at the $2.1 million Barcelona Open tennis event.
Marcel Granollers whipped Aussie Marinko Matosevic 6-2, 6-3, while Pablo Andujar took care of fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-4, 6-1 and Roberto Carballes Baena overcame German Jan-Lennard Struff 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 on the red clay at Real Club de Tenis Barcelona.
In other action involving Spanish players, Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili dismissed Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 6-4 and Frenchman Benoit Paire mauled qualifier Jaume Munar 6-2, 6-2.
Also advancing on Day 1 were Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin, Russian Andrey Kuznetsov and Swedish wild card Elias Ymer.
The first round will conclude and second-round action will commence Tuesday in Barcelona, including matches for top-seeded defending champion Kei Nishikori and seeded Spaniards Roberto Bautista Agut and Tommy Robredo. The U.S. Open runner-up Nishikori will take on Gabashvili, while Bautista Agut will be opposed by Bellucci and the 2004 champion and 2006 runner-up Robredo will encounter Kukushkin.
Nishikori beat Colombian Santiago Giraldo in last year's Barcelona finale.
The No. 2 seed this week is Spanish hero and eight-time Barcelona titlist Rafael Nadal.
This week's winner will collect $495,000.
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