Rain dampens Japan Open

TOKYO, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Tenth-seeded Harel Levy of Isreal advanced to the second round as only three matches were completed Monday due to rain at the $870,000 Japan Open hardcourt tennis event.

Levy defeated Satoshi Iwabuchi of Japan, 6-3, 6-3, under the roof at Ariake Colosseum because of the inclement weather.

American James Blake and Axel Pretzsch of Germany also moved into the next round. Blake dispatched Japanese wild card Yaoki Ishii, 6-3, 6-4, and Pretzsch got past Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.

Fourteen other men's first-round matches were postponed while two matches on the women's side were forced to be rescheduled for Tuesday.

U.S. Open champion Lleyton Hewitt is the top seed among the women.