BUENOS AIRES, 10 February 2005 — Top seed Carlos Moya enjoyed a straight sets win over Australian qualifier Peter Luczak in the first round of the Buenos Aires ATP tournament on Tuesday.
French Open champion Gaston Gaudio needed three sets to dispatch Italy’s Federico Luzzi.
Spaniard Moya beat Luczak 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) to earn a second round tie against Argentine Juan Monaco.
Second seed Gaudio lost the first set but went on to beat Luzzi 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 in a match which went on into the early hours of yesterday. Italy’s Filippo Volandri, seeded sixth, was beaten 6-4, 6-2 by Germany’s Lars Burgsmuller. Fifth seed Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina lost 7-5, 6-4 to Spanish qualifier Marc Lopez.
Agassi Advances in San Jose
In San Jose, California, Andre Agassi began his quest for a sixth title at the San Jose Open with a comfortable 6-4, 6-4 first round victory over qualifier Bobby Reynolds on Tuesday.
Third seed Tommy Haas also advanced with a 6-3, 7-6 victory over France’s Gregory Carraz.
In his first match since losing to world number one Roger Federer in the Australian Open quarterfinals, the second seeded Agassi managed to wear Reynolds down from inside the baseline. The 34-year-old Agassi added the hip injury that nearly forced him to withdraw from the Australian Open was actually caused by a swollen nerve in his back.
Fourth seed Vince Spadea also advanced with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 victory over France’s Anthony Dupuis while seventh seed Jurgen Melzer of Austria beat Glenn Weiner 6-2, 7-5 and James Blake beat South Africa’s Wesley Moodie 6-3, 6-4. Spadea, who reached the semi-finals of the Delray Beach tournament last week, said it took him a set to get used to playing indoors.
Johansson Ousts Ferrero in Marseille Open
In Marseille, France, Juan Carlos Ferrero’s struggle for form continued at the Marseille Open on Tuesday where the former world number stumbled in straight sets in the first round against Joachim Johansson.
The third-seeded Swede, winner in Adelaide last month, dismissed the Spaniard 7-6, 6-3.
After a 2004 season marred by health problems, Ferrero is not faring much better this year, having only won two matches since the season resumed.
Simon beat former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
