Fognini moves to second round at Nice Open

NICE, France, May 21 (UPI) -- No. 6-seeded Fabio Fognini, despite a slow start, claimed a first-round win Tuesday at the Nice Open tennis tournament in France.

Fognini won just 30 percent of the points in the first set but nearly 60 percent the rest of the way in a 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Marco Cecchinato. Fognini didn't manage a break opportunity in the first set, but converted five in 11 chances in the second and third sets for the win.

Wild-card entrant Gael Monfils pleased the local fans with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Santiago Giraldo. Monfils fought off five break points in the second set in evening the match and had three of his four breaks on the day in the final set.

Paul-Henri Mathieu stopped Ryan Harrison 6-4, 6-3, while qualifiers Guillaume, who beat Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 6-1, and Sergiy Stakhovsky, who defeated Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-2, 6-3 also advanced as the first round wrapped up Tuesday.