Davydenko exits Stuttgart

Stuttgart, Germany – Fading former top-five star Nikolay Davydenko was a first-round upset victim Monday at the Mercedes Cup tennis event.

German wild card Dustin Brown saved a match point before driving out the sixth-seeded Russian Davydenko 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7) on the red clay at TC Weissenhof.

Also on Day 1, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez whipped fellow Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-2, 6-3 and Belgian Steve Darcis handled Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-4. Montanes was the champion here two years ago.

This week's top seed is Serb Janko Tipsarevic.

Juan Carlos Ferrero, who is not defending his title this week, topped Pablo Andujar in last year's all-Spanish Stuttgart finale.