PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain, April 30 (UPI) -- Playing his first singles match in more than three months, top seed Gustavo Kuerten dispatched Russian Nikolay Davydenko, 6-2, 6-3, Tuesday at the $400,000 Mallorca Open claycourt tennis event.
Kuerten, the world No. 2 and reigning French Open champion, had been sidelined since undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery in February. He had lost his only two singles matches of the year and dropped 11 of the past 12 since reaching the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open last September.
"It's great to be back," he said.
The flamboyant Brazilian, who won a doubles match on Monday, is trying to gain enough match play before embarking on his quest for his four titles at Roland Garros in late May. He won here in 1998.
Kuerten looked like he might be forced to play three sets when he fell behind the Russian, 1-3, in the second set, but won the next five games to advance to a second-round meeting with Magnus Norman of Sweden.
Norman, still on the comeback trail after knee surgery last year, defeated Spanish qualifier Mariano Albert, 6-3, 6-4. At one time ranked No. 2 in the world, Norman was forced to qualify this week. Tuesday's victory was only his second in six matches this season.
Mariano Zabaleta of Argentina ousted second-seeded Albert Portas of Spain, 6-1, 6-4. He has defeated Portas three times in as many career meetings.
Fourth seed Jarkko Nieminen of Finland routed Andre Sa of Brazil, 6-1, 6-2; No. 7 Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia advanced when Argentina's Guillermo Coria retired with a sore hamstring while trailing, 6-0 and No. 8 Gaston Gaudio of Argentina rallied past Spain's Fernando Vicente, 0-6, 6-3, 6-2.
In addition, David Sanchez of Spain beat Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand, 6-2, 6-4, and Belgium's Christophe Rochus got past Denmark's Kristian Pless, 7-6 (9-7), 2-6, 6-2.
