Newport, RI (SportsNetwork.com) - Reigning Newport champion Nicolas Mahut notched an opening-round victory Tuesday at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
The fourth-seeded Frenchman foiled Argentine Facundo Arguello 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 on the grass courts on the grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Mahut popped 11 aces in the hour-and-a-half affair.
The two-time finalist Mahut overcame former world No. 1 and two-time runner- up Lleyton Hewitt in last year's Newport finale.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, eighth-seeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino handled Taiwan's Jimmy Wang 6-2, 6-4.
Additional first-round wins came for Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky, Croat Ante Pavic and Aussie Luke Saville.
This week's champion will claim $81,500.
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