Ljubicic survives Zagreb first round

ZAGREB, Croatia, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic was pushed to three sets Monday in first-round play of the PBZ Zagreb Indoors tennis tournament in Croatia.

Ljubicic got past Karol Beck 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-3. He had 16 aces and lost his serve just once -- costing him the second set -- but used his only break of the match to claim the third set and advance.

Ljubicic saved 5-of-6 break points on the day, including three in the decisive third set. He had only one break-point change over the first two sets but cashed one of his two chances in the third.

No. 5-seeded Andreas Seppi and seventh-seeded Robin Haase both claimed straight set wins Monday. Seppi slipped by Daniel Brands 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) by winning the last six points of the tiebreaker. Haase defeated Kristijan Mesaros 6-2, 6-3 in 57 minutes.

Also in the first round, Matthias Bachinger beat Izak van der Merwe 6-3, 6-3 and Lukas Lacko outlasted Potito Starace 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (4-7), 6-3.