Top seeds advance in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Top seeds Fernando Verdasco and Gael Monfils made it safely past the first round Wednesday at the SAP Open.

The No. 1 seed Verdasco, playing for the first time since being eliminated in the fourth round of the Australian Open by Tomas Berdych, breezed past Rajeev Ram 6-3, 6-2. Monfils, seeded second, ousted Bradley Klahn 6-3, 6-2.

Verdasco will meet Ivo Karlovic in the second round after Karlovic defeated Ryan Sweeting 6-4, 6-4. Monfils' next opponent will be Robert Kendrick, who fought past Igor Kunitsyn 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

In a second-round match, Milos Raonic disposed of James Blake 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).