Mathieu wins opener at Open 13 tennis

MARSEILLE, France, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu was a first-round winner Monday at the $1.13 million Open 13 tennis tournament.

The eighth-seeded Mathieu defeated countryman Marc Gicquel in a pair of tiebreakers, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-4).

Also Monday, Swede Robin Soderling, a 2004 finalist, beat Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 5-7, 7-5.

The 2008 Marseille champion will earn $125,000.

This week's top seeds are Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia and French star Richard Gasquet.

Frenchman Gilles Simon defeated Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in last year's finale.