ACAPULCO, Mexico, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Defending champion Carlos Moya breezed into the second round of the Mexican Open claycourt tennis tournament on Tuesday.
Several high seeds had to struggle to get to the winner's circle, including David Nalbandian, Gaston Gaudio, and Fernando Gonzalez.
The top-seeded Moya, coming off his first title of the season at Buenos Aires last week, and playing on his favorite surface, rolled past Flavio Saretta of Brazil, 6-0, 6-2.
Nalbandian, the second seed from Argentina, rallied past Chile's Nicolas Massu, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Gaudio, seeded third, followed a similar script as his countryman, pulling out a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over David Sanchez of Spain.
Gonzalez, the fourth-seed from Chile, outlasted qualifier Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo of Spain, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6).
Another Spaniard, Felix Mantilla, surprised No. 5 Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-1), and No. 8 Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador was drubbed by Peru's Luis Horna, 6-2, 6-1.
Sixth-seeded Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil, who won this tournament in 2001, fought off qualifier Nicholas Coutelot of France, 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (12-10), 6-2, and No. 7 Marcelo Rios of Chile rallied past Franco Squillari of Argentina, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4.
Other men's winners were Agustin Calleri of Argentina, Sargis Sargsian of Armenia, and Fernando Vicente of Spain.
On the women's side, No. 5 Magui Serna of Brazil was beaten by qualifier Alena Vaskova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-2.
Three other qualifiers were not as fortunate.
Marta Marrero of Spain advanced with a 6-1, 6-2 rout of Milagros Sequera of Venezuela, Italy's Flavia Pennetta routed Spain's Paula Garcia, 6-3, 6-2, and Petra Mandula of Hungary swept past Ivana Abramovic of Croatia, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).
The men's winner of this tournament receives $52,000, while the women's champion receives $27,000.
