ROME, May 7 (UPI) -- Former world No. 1 Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero and Argentine Guillermo Canas were among first-round winners Monday at the Italian Masters.
Ferrero defeated Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; and Canas beat Austrian Jurgen Melzer, 7-5, 6-2.
Ferrero, a former French Open champion, won this tournament in 2001.
Canas had recent runner-up finishes at the Miami Masters and Barcelona. After starting the season outside the world's top 100, the Argentine has climbed to No. 21.
Tenth-seeded Andy Murray of Great Britain was upset by Frenchman Gilles Simon, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, Monday.
Spaniard Nicolas Almagro beat Britain's Tim Henman, 7-5, 6-1; and Argentine Jose Acasuso defeated former French Open runner-up Martin Verkerk of The Netherlands, 6-3, 7-5.
Almagro has a second-round match against current world No. 1 Roger Federer.
