VALENCIA, Spain, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Andy Murray began his defense of the Valencia Open title Tuesday with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) win over Feliciano Lopez in Spain.
Murray, ranked fourth in the world, needed a second-set tie-breaker to get past the Spaniard, rallying from a 4-1 deficit to move ahead in first-round action.
The Briton now goes on to face Argentina's Juan Monaco in the second round, who he defeated en route to his title in Shanghai two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, No. 4 seed David Ferrer downed fellow Spaniard and 2008 Valencia champion Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 6-7 (3-7) 6-3, 6-3, in a come-from-behind victory.
Ferrer now goes on to face Russian qualifier Teymuraz Gabashvili.
Also Tuesday, Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver set up a date with Sweden's Robin Soderling after outlasting Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, and Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina advanced with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 decision over Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber.
