Querrey opens Aegon tournament with win

LONDON, June 6 (UPI) -- Defending champion Sam Querrey opened his grass-court season with a straight-set win Monday at the Aegon Championships in London.

Querrey, seeded 13th, defeated American compatriot Mardy Fish in last year's Aegon championship match and opened his 2011 draw with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Kei Nishikori. Querrey fired 10 aces and won 74 percent of the points on serve.

He saved all seven of the break points -- all of which were in the first set -- he faced and made one service break in each set stand for the win.

No. 10-seeded Michael Llodra was even more solidly, defeating Jaroslav Pospisil 6-3, 6-2 in 62 minutes. Llodra won 59 percent of the points in the match.

Thomaz Bellucci, the 11th seed, needed to rally for a 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-2 decision over Grigor Dimitrov and 16th-seeded Ivan Ljubicic stopped Ryan Sweeting 7-6 (8-6), 6-2.

Two qualifiers were straight-set winners Monday. Ilija Bozoljac beat Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4, 6-4 and Arnaud Clement eliminated Benoit Paire 7-5, 6-3.

Other first-round winners Monday were: Julien Benneteau, Michael Berrer, James Ward, Rainer Schuettler, Igor Kunitsyn, Nicolas Mahut, Donald Young, Feliciano Lopez and Marsel Ilhan.