Simon advances; Clement beats Safin

MARSEILLE, France, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Second-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon struggled but won and unseeded countryman Arnaud Clement upset Marat Safin in Tuesday's opening round of the Open 13.

Simon, ranked eighth in the world, fell behind 4-6 before winning the next two sets 6-3, 7-5 to defeat 17-year-old Bulgarian wild card Grigor Dimitrov. Simon, who won this event in 2007, will face German Rainer Schuettler in the round of 16.

Clement also got off to a slow start before beating Safin, the seventh-seeded former world No. 1 Russian, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Clement won this tournament three years ago.

Also, Julien Benneteau beat fellow Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, and Schuettler beat French qualifier Laurent Recouderc 6-1, 6-4.