VALENCIA, Spain, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- David Ferrer began the defense of his Valencia Open title Tuesday with an opening-round, straight-set victory over fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.
The top-seeded Ferrer dismantled Verdasco 6-3, 6-2 on the indoor hard courts at Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences.
Ranked No. 5 in the world, Ferrer claimed last year's championship by downing Marcel Granollers in an all-Spanish final. He also won the 2008 Valencia event and was runner-up in 2005.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who is coming off last week's title in Vienna, uncorked 10 aces en route to a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over 19-year-old Spanish wild card Javier Marti. The second-seeded Frenchman advances to the round of 16, where he will face American Sam Querrey.
Two-time Valencia champ Nicolas Almagro was among the casualties, losing to Argentine Juan Monaco 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, and No. 3 seed Gael Monfils of France pounded Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-3, 6-1.
Granollers advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 upset of seventh-seeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov.
