2011 titlist Berdych wins at Japan Open

TOKYO, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Second-seeded Tomas Berdych opened defense of his Japan Open title with a straight-set win Monday.

Berdych, seeded second this year, defeated Benoit Paire 6-1, 7-6 (8-6). Berdych won 55 percent of the points and had two breaks off Paire's serve in the first set. He overcame his only lost service game of the match in taking the tiebreaker in the second.

Berdych was good on 58 percent of his first serves and won the points in 38 of those 46 situations.

Seventh-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka edged past wild-card entrant Hiroki Moriya 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. Wawrinka, even with 10 aces, landed just 48 percent of his first serves but only lost his serve twice. He had five breaks against Moriya.

Lukas Lacko routed Albert Ramos 6-0, 6-2, winning more than two-thirds of the points in the match, and Viktor Troicki beat Robin Haase 6-2, 6-3, losing 13 points over nine service games.

Lacko will play either top-seeded Andy Murray or Gael Monfils in the second round.