Davydenko hit with serve, still wins

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HALLE, Germany, June 12 (UPI) -- Second-seeded Nikolay Davydenko was struck in the eye with a serve but held on for a first-round victory in the $900,000 Gerry Weber Open in Germany.

Davydenko was ahead 5-2 in the third set when a serve by Jurgen Melzer hit him in the eye. He won the game and took the match, 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-2. However, he was unsure if he would be able to play in the second round, where he would meet Florian Mayer. "If my eye gets swollen and blue, I have to seriously consider if I can play," Davydenko said.

Fifth-seeded Richard Gasquet and No. 7 David Nalbandian was each upset in the first round of the season's first grass-court tournament. Gasquet was ousted by Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4, and Nalbandian was dropped by Marc Gicquel, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. Also in first-round play Tuesday, Simon Stadler beat Mischa Zverev, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated Raemon Sluiter, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5; and Mayer posted a 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 win over Michael Kohlmann.