Blake, Belgians advance in North Carolina

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Aug. 19 (UPI) -- American James Blake joined Belgians David Goffin and Steve Darcis among the opening day winners Sunday at the Winston-Salem Open.

Blake bested Spain's Albert Ramos 6-4, 6-3, firing seven aces en route to the win on the hard courts at Wake Forest University.

Goffin, meanwhile, beat France's Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, while Darcis defeated countryman Xavier Malisse 6-3, 6-0.

Also notching first-round wins were American Ryan Harrison, Santiago Giraldo of Colombia and Russian Alex Bogomolov Jr., who dispatched Tunisia's Malek Jaziri 6-2, 6-2.