Gabashvili earns chance against Nadal

MIAMI, March 27 (UPI) -- Teimuraz Gabashvili earned a chance at the top player in the world Thursday by winning his first-round match at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.

Gabashvili defeated Simone Bolelli 6-4, 4-6, 5-4 and will take on Rafael Nadal in the second round of the year's second Masters event.

Juan Monaco cruised to a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Marc Gicquel, earning him a match against fourth-seeded Andy Murray.

The 32 seeded players in this event all earn a bye past the opening round.

In other first-round matches Thursday Martin Vassallo Arguello ousted Potito Starace 7-6 (11-9), 6-4; Nicolas Massu defeated Ryan Sweeting 6-4, 7-6 (7-2); and Bobby Reynolds outlasted Juan Ignacio Chela 0-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Also advancing were Amer Delic, Frederico Gil, Andreas Seppi, John Isner, Benjamin Becker, Sam Querrey and Viktor Troicki.