Buenos Aires, Argentina (SportsNetwork.com) - Two-time reigning champion David Ferrer and second-seeded Italian Fabio Fognini were opening-round winners Tuesday at the Copa Claro tennis event, which is part of the ATP World Tour's 'Golden Swing' through Latin America.
The top-seeded Ferrer needed a little over two hours to beat plucky Argentine qualifier Maximo Gonzalez 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 on the red clay at Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club. The Spanish wild card beat last month's Australian Open champ Stan Wawrinka in last year's Buenos Aires finale.
Fognini, last week's Vina del Mar champion, dismissed German Julian Reister 7-5, 6-2.
Meanwhile, sixth-seeded Dutchman Robin Haase outlasted Argentine qualifier Martin Alund 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3.
A Day 2 upset came when Spaniard Albert Ramos ousted 2007 champ and seventh- seeded crowd favorite Juan Monaco 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-2.
Also on Tuesday, last week's Chile Open runner-up to Fognini, Leonardo Mayer, defeated wild card and fellow Argentine Facundo Arguello 6-3, 6-4, Italian Filippo Volandri rallied to beat 17-year-old Chilean qualifier Christian Garin 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 and Colombian Santiago Giraldo topped Spaniard Albert Montanes 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.
Mayer will face Fognini once again in the round of 16 this week.
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