MADRID, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Alex Corretja and Tommy Robredo made the hometown fans happy Monday with first-round victories at the inaugural Tennis Masters Series event in Madrid.
Corretja beat countryman Fernando Vicente, 6-4, 7-5, and Robredo topped Max Mirnyi of Belarus, 6-4, 6-4, in the first day of the $2.578 million indoor hardcourt event.
A fourth Spaniard was in action, but Francisco Clavet was thrashed by Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian, 6-1, 6-1.
Corretja owns a pair of titles this season, although both came on clay. His last hardcourt championship was three years ago. He will next face ninth seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, who received a first-round bye as one of the top-16 seeds.
Robredo was happy to be playing in his own country.
"It is a great help playing in Spain, you are used to the food and everything. It helps you feel more confident and is a great stimulus," he said. "It is great to have the public behind you and it helps you win your games."
The 20-year-old Spaniard has had most of his success come on clay, where he reached the quarterfinals at the TMS Roma, the semifinals at the TMS Hamburg, and the quarterfinals in Bastad. He also was a semifinalist at 's-Hertogenbosch on grass in June.
In a battle of French qualifiers, Fabrice Santoro defeated Julien Boutter, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), to advance to a second-round meeting with top seed and defending champion Tommy Haas of Germany.
Also, Fernando Gonzalez of Chile dispatched Brazilian qualifier Andre Sa, 6-3, 6-2, and former world No. 1 Marcelo Rios of Chile routed Gaston Gaudio of Argentina, 6-2, 6-2.
Gonzalez is having a breakout year, winning in Vina del Mar early in the year and at Palermo last month. He also reached the semifinals at the TMS event in Cincinnati, the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open and the fourth round at the Australian Open and Miami.
The Chilean next takes on eighth seed Carlos Moya of Spain.
Rios avoided a three-match losing streak with his win over Gaudio. Still seeking his first final appearance of the season, the former world No. 1 has been suffering from knee problems but does not think it will be a problem this week.
In other matches, Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, got past Rainer Schuettler of Germany, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5); Mikhail Youzhny of Russia rolled by Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina, 6-2, 6-2; Magnus Norman of Sweden overcame Mariano Zabaleta of Argentina, 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6-2; and Belgium's Xavier Malisse beat Stefan Koubek of Austria, 6-2, 6-4.
James Blake, the only American in action Monday, lost to Argentine qualifier Agustin Calleri, 6-4, 6-2. Calleri goes against second seed Marat Safin of Russia in the second round Tuesday.
