The fourth-seeded Davydenko was a set and two break points down at 4-4 in the second. But he saved both and won eight successive points to force a deciding set.

Davydenko had 11 aces and saved all eight break points he faced from Serra. He said his wrist was still hurting after a fall during the Rotterdam semifinals two weeks.

“I thought I broke wrist,” Davydenko said. “I had swelling for three days. I could not touch anything with my left wrist. I did not know if I would play here, which is the reason I requested a Tuesday start.

“But I started feeling a little bit better. I did not have any preparation for this tournament. I hope it’s not a big problem and I can play here and the Davis Cup.” The Russian won the tournament in Qatar last month.

Also moving into the second round was sixth-seeded Marin Cilic, who defeated Arnaud Clement 6-2, 6-4. Other winners included Tommy Robredo, Janko Tipsarevic, Bjorn Phau and Michael Berrer.

In Delray Beach, Florida, top-seeded Tommy Haas was upset by Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia 7-6 (3), 7-5 at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships on Monday.

This marks the third consecutive year Haas, who won the title in 2006, has lost in the first round of this tournament.

“He came up with some big shots at the right time,” Haas said. “I had my chances, but for some reason I couldn’t win the points that maybe would’ve turned it around for me today.

“Maybe I was just a step slow to get to the ball to make something happen. These guys are hitting the ball so big these days you have to be there every single point.” Haas also became the sixth top seed in the tournament’s 18 year history to fall in the opening round.

Gabashvili, who has been hampered by health issues over the past year, was playing in his third tournament of the year. It was only the second ATP Tour match he’s won since July.

The 24-year-old Russian won a first round match against Karol Beck of Slovakia at the Moscow tournament in October.

Gabashvili was diagnosed with anemia and also had surgery to remove colon polyps in December.

“I wasn’t excited the last six months because I had a lot of health problems, low hemoglobin in the blood,” said Gabashvili, who lives most of the year in Barcelona. “I was losing every match, I couldn’t win.” Haas, who became an American citizen in January but is still playing as a German, was trailing 5-3 in the opening set but fought back to a tiebreaker where he netted a backhand volley to lose the set.

In the second set, Gabashvili went ahead 2-0, but lost his serve in the third game to let Haas even the score.

Haas surrendered the match in the final game when he smacked a backhand into the net.

South Floridian Wayne Odesnik and Evgeny Korolev, a Russian-turned-Kazakhstani, were first round winners.

Despite falling and twisting his ankle at 3-1 in the first set, Odesnik cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over fellow American Rajeev Ram on Monday.

Korolev, who reached the final as a qualifier in Delray Beach last year, scored a 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 victory over Nicolas Lapentti.

Meantime, with Rafael Nadal sidelined, defending champion Spain picked Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo and Marcel Granollers on Tuesday to face Switzerland in their Davis Cup opener.

Captain Albert Costa said Nadal and Fernando Verdasco will miss the event because of injury, as expected. They helped Spain sweep the Czech Republic 5-0 in the Davis Cup final last year.

Nadal retired in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open because of a knee injury, which will sideline him for four months. Verdasco is out with a nerve injury in his leg.

Ferrero has won two titles in two weeks leading up to the March 5-7 event in the 11,000-capacity bullring in Logrono.

Switzerland will play without top-ranked Roger Federer. Last month, the Swiss tennis federation announced that the top-ranked player will not take part.

The countries have met five times, with Spain winning four.