MARSEILLE, France(AP) Second-seeded Gilles Simon came back from 5-2 down in the last set to beat Grigor Dimitrov 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the first round of the Open 13 on Tuesday.
Dimitrov, the 17-year-old who won two junior grand slam titles last year, served for the match and was two points from victory over the 2007 champion.
He saved three break points at 5-4 to take the first set. The eighth-ranked Simon broke Dimitrov at 2-1 in the second set and held on to tie it at one set apiece.
Seventh-seeded Marat Safin was ousted by Arnaud Clement of France 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Safin hit 11 aces in the first set but wore down in the next two in his first match in four weeks.
Julien Benneteau rallied past retiring 36-year-old Fabrice Santoro 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in all-French meeting.
Other first-round winners included Rainer Schuettler, Mischa Zverev, Andreas Seppi and Simone Bolelli.