Davydenko reaches 50-win mark

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- No. 2 seed Nikolay Davydenko and last year's runner-up Fernando Verdasco were among the winners Tuesday in the opening round of the St. Petersburg Open.

Davydenko recorded his 50th match victory of the season by ousting Chris Guccione 6-4, 6-4. It is the fourth straight season Davydenko has won at least 50 matches.

Verdasco rallied to defeat qualifier Tiemuraz Gabashvili 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. Verdasco fell to Andy Murray in the 2007 championship match.

Fourth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny coasted into the second round with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Ivan Navarro, but No. 5 seed Marin Cilic was upset by Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (8-6).

Other first-round winners included Jeremy Chardy, Ernest Gulbis and Janko Tipsarevic.

Murray, coming off his fourth title of the year in Madrid last week, will put his No. 1 seed on the line Wednesday against Sergiy Stakhovsky.