Gulbis advances with rout in France

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MARSEILLE, France, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Ernests Gulbis ran past Jarkko Nieminen in 52 minutes Tuesday for a first-round win at the Open 13 tennis tournament in France.

Gulbis pasted Nieminen 6-3, 6-2, winning 60 percent of the points in the brisk match. Gulbis was especially efficient on serve, dropping only seven points in eight games serving.

The win gives Gulbis a second-round shot at top-seeded Tomas Berdych, who had a first-round bye.

Michael Llodra was the only one of four French players to win Tuesday. Llodra stopped David Goffin 6-2, 6-4 without facing a break point and cashing in half of his six break opportunities.

However, local favorites losing included fifth-seeded Richard Gasquet, Benoit Paire and Gael Monfils.

Gilles Muller defeated Gasquet 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5). Gasquet won three-quarters of the points in serve but lost the only two break points he faced. The first cost him the second set and the other allowed Muller to get into the third-set tiebreaker.

Somdev Devvarman beat Paire in a very tight 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (7-9), 6-4 decision that took more than 2 1/2 hours. Devvarman won one more point -- 131-130 -- than Paire on the day. Marcel Granollers took out Monfils 6-4, 6-4, saving both break chances Monfils managed.

Also Tuesday, Nikolay Davydenko got by Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 and Roberto Bautista-Agut outlasted Filip Krajinovic 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0.