Starace drops Kremlin Cup opener

MOSCOW, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Sixth-seeded Potito Starace was ousted in first-round play at the $1 million ATP Kremlin Cup tennis tournament in Moscow.

Starace took the first set but Florent Serra roared back and posted a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory in the first upset of the 32-player tournament.

Eighth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber was a straight-set winner, taking a 6-1, 6-3 decision from Justin Gimelstob on the first day of the indoor tournament. Also claiming wins Monday were Janko Tipsarevic, who stopped Sergio Roitman, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; and Radek Stepanek, who took out Teimuraz Gabashvili, 7-5, 6-3.

Defending champion Nikolay Davydenko is the top seed for the tournament while Mikhail Youzhny, another Russian, is seeded second. Russians have won the last three Kremlin Cups, with Davydenko winning in 2004 and 2006 and Igor Andreev taking the title in 2005.

The tournament champion will collect $142,000.