METZ, France, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Fifth-seeded Fabrice Santoro was one of three Frenchmen who joined countryman Nicolas Mahut in the second round Tuesday at the Open de Moselle.
Santoro began his quest for a third title on his home soil with a 6-3, 6-0 rout of Argentina's Diego Veronelli. He was a member of the French team that defeated the Netherlands here last year in a Davis Cup first-round tie.
Joining him in the second round were countrymen Jean-Rene Lisnard, who outlasted Italian qualifier Cristiano Caratti, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, and Thierry Ascione, a qualifier who rolled past Belarus' Vladimir Voltchkov, 6-2, 6-4.
Ascione got his first career ATP Tour match win last week in Bangkok.
Mahut beat second seed Younes El Aynaoui of Morocco on Monday.
Top seed Spaniard Tommy Robredo advanced with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) triumph over Austria's Jurgen Melzer.
