Valencia, Spain (Sports Network) - Former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt ousted
fourth-seeded 2011 runner-up Juan Monaco in first-round action Monday at the
Valencia Open 500 tennis event.
The 91st-ranked Aussie wild card Hewitt humbled the world No. 10 Monaco, of
Argentina, in 6-3, 6-4 fashion on the hardcourts at the City of the Arts.
Monaco lost to Spaniard Marcel Granollers in last year's Valencia finale.
In an all-Spanish affair on Day 2, Fernando Verdasco handled wild card and
fellow former top-10 star Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-4. Verdasco captured this event
back in 2004.
Also on Monday, Belgian David Goffin drubbed Spaniard Pablo Andujar 6-2, 6-2
and Croatian qualifier Ivan Dodig doused German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2,
7-6 (8-6).
On Tuesday, top seed David Ferrer, of Spain, will face Belgian Olivier Rochus,
while last week's Stockholm runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, this week's second
seed, will face Belgian Xavier Malisse, and sixth-seeded Nicolas Almagro will
battle fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former world No. 1 who will
retire after this tournament. Ferrer titled here in 2008 and 2010, while
Almagro is also a two-time champ (2006-07). Ferrero was the Valencia winner in
2003.
The 2012 Valencia champion will collect $445,000.
The Sports Network