MILAN, Italy, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Goran Ivanisevic made a successful return to the court while top-seeded Jiri Novak made an unexpected exit Tuesday at the Milan Indoors.
A wild card entrant playing in his first singles match in nearly eight months, Ivanisevic fired 25 aces in a 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 7-6 (7-3) victory over Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic.
Ivanisevic, the 2001 Wimbledon champion, was playing in his first singles match since a first-round loss to Jan Vacek at the Queen's Club in June. The Croatian has been hampered by shoulder, elbow and knee injuries.
Monday, Ivanisevic teamed with Andreas Seppi of Italy to win a doubles match.
While Ivanisevic made a triumphant return, Novak pulled out of his first-round match due to a strained calf.
Thomas Johansson of Sweden continued his comeback from a knee injury with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Russia's Nikolay Davydenko.
