Nalbandian wins Sao Paulo opener, Chardy falls
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Oft-injured former world No. 3 David Nalbandian posted an opening-round victory Wednesday at the clay-court Brasil Open.
The 2002 Wimbledon runner-up, who's playing doubles with former No. 1 great Rafael Nadal this week, outlasted Chilean qualifier Jorge Aguilar 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.
The 31-year-old Nalbandian's second-round opponent will be unheralded fellow Argentine Guido Pella.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wednesday's lone second-round bout of the day also produced the biggest upset thus far of the tournament, with Argentine lucky loser Martin Alund edging fourth-seeded Jeremy Chardy after besting the Frenchman in a third-set tiebreaker.
Alund took advantage of 16 double faults from Chardy to hang on for a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) decision in a match that lasted two hours and 36 minutes.
In other first-round action, Brazilian qualifier Joao Souza got past Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 7-6 (8-6), retired, and Spain's Albert Montanes, playing in his 10th Brasil Open, handled Italian Paolo Lorenzi 6-4, 6-4. Souza is rewarded with a second-round match against perhaps the greatest clay-court player of all-time -- Nadal -- on Thursday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nadal, the top seed, of course, in Sao Paulo, was a shocking loser at the hands of Argentine Horacio Zeballos in last week's final in Vina Del Mar, Chile. It marked his first action in seven months after being sidelined with a knee injury.
Zeballos will not capture his second ATP World Tour title this week, as he succumbed to Chilean qualifier Paul Capdeville, 6-7 (5-7), 6-0, 3-0, retired, in Sao Paulo on Wednesday.
This week's second seed is two-time reigning champion Nicolas Almagro, who beat Italian Filippo Volandri in last year's finale here and also captured this event in Costa do Sauipe in 2008 and 2011.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Almagro will meet Capdeville on Thursday.
The 2013 Brasil Open titlist will earn $82,300.