ESTORIL, Portugal, April 12 (UPI) -- Nikolay Davydenko's defense of his Estoril Open was short-lived after suffering a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 loss Monday to Czech Radek Stepanek.
Davydenko endured his ninth early-round defeat in as many tournaments this season. After capturing two titles and finishing in the top 50 for the first time in 2003, he fell to 3-9 on the year.
The other men's main draw matches featured a pair of all-French battles as Olivier Patience rallied past Julien Boutter, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, and Thierry Ascione beat Antony Dupuis, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0.
In women's first-round action, Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France defeated Sandra Kleinova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-0; Slovakian Martina Sucha crushed Czech Suzana Ondraskova, 6-1, 6-2 and Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic rallied to beat Italy's Tathiana Garbin, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.
