Tsonga takes first-round match in France

MARSEILLE, France, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had little trouble taking a first-round match Tuesday in the Open 13 tennis tournament in France.

Tsonga, the 2009 tournament champion and the No. 6 seed this year, topped Benoit Paire 6-1, 6-2. Tsonga saved all four of the break points he faced and dropped only 16 points on serve.

He won 91 percent of the points when he got his first serve in but only seven of the 20 points on his second serve.

No. 8-seeded Michael Llodra won a rematch of last year's Open 13 title match with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Julien Benneteau. Llodra won the 2010 final in straight sets but had trouble solving Benneteau's serve Tuesday. Benneteau won 74 percent of the points on serve and faced only three break points. However, Llodra won one in each the first and third sets and advanced.

Nicolas Mahut and Tobias Kamke each lost just two games in beating qualifiers. Mahut, winning 81 percent of the points on serve, played only 50 minutes in a 6-2, 6-0 rout of Andrey Kumantsov. Kamke lost only three points on serve in the first set in taking control of a 6-0, 6-2 win over Thomas Schoorel.

Also Tuesday, Andreas Seppi slipped past Robin Haase 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) and Marin Cilic stopped Stephane Bohli 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-2.