Paris, France (Sports Network) - French favorites Gilles Simon and Julien
Benneteau were among Monday's first-round winners at the $3.15 million BNP
Paribas Masters, the final Masters 1000 tournament of the year.
The former top-10 star Simon topped former Australian Open runner-up
Marcos Baghdatis 7-5, 6-1, while Benneteau got past Serb Viktor Troicki 6-4,
7-5 on the indoor hardcourts at Bercy's Palais Omnisports.
Meanwhile, Albert Ramos doused fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (7-5), 6-4,
South African slugger Kevin Anderson whipped Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 6-2,
6-1, and Italian Andreas Seppi got past Slovak Martin Klizan 6-2, 2-6, 7-6
(7-5).
Additional opening-round wins came for Polish qualifier Jerzy Janowicz,
Argentine Carlos Berlocq, Spaniard Marcel Granollers, and Colombian qualifier
Alejandro Falla.
This week's top seeds are No. 2 seed and 2009 champion Novak Djokovic and Andy
Murray. The original top seed was Roger Federer, who pulled out of the event
on Sunday after losing to Juan Martin del Potro in the final at the Swiss
Indoors Basel. Del Potro is seeded seventh this week.
Federer defeated 2008 titlist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in last year's Paris Masters
finale.
The newest champion here will pocket $620,000.
The Sports Network