Robredo, Ferrero win openers in Umag

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ZAGREB: Fifth-seeded Tommy Robredo and his fellow Spaniard, former world No. 1 and reigning Umag champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, were among Tuesday's first-round winners at the $570,000 Croatia Open.

The former top-five star Robredo routed compatriot qualifier Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-3, 6-2, while Ferrero advanced with a 3-6, 6-3, 1-1 victory over Argentine Maximo Gonzalez, who retired after two games in the third set due to a hip injury on Day 2 on the red clay at ATP Stadium.

The former French Open titlist Ferrero, who titled in Stuttgart two weeks ago, beat Italian Potito Starace in last year's Umag finale.

Ferrero will battle third-seeded Croatian hero Ivan Ljubicic on Wednesday.

Sixth-seeded Italian Fabio Fognini handled Portuguese Rui Machado 6-4, 6-3, while seventh-seeded Italian Andreas Seppi whipped Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-2 and last year's Umag runner-up Starace moved on with a 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-1 victory over Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker. Starace will face top seed Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina in the round of 16.

Additional Day-2 wins came for Dutchman Robin Haase, recent Newport runner-up Olivier Rochus of Belgium, Argentine Carlos Berlocq, and Italians Gianluca Naso, a qualifier, and two-time Umag runner-up Filippo Volandri, who whipped Croatian wild card Mate Pavic 6-4, 6-0. Volandri reached back-to-back finals here in 2003 and 2004.

The 2011 Umag champion will claim $104,000.