KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia(AP) Mikhail Youzhny of Russia defeated seventh-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 7-6 (3), 6-2 Tuesday in the first round of the Malaysian Open.
Ferrer broke serve in the second game to take a 2-0 lead but Youzhny won three consecutive games, eventually taking the set to a tiebreaker. The Russian, ranked 52nd, held the serve to take the set.
Youzhny broke serve in the third and eighth games of the second set.
``I have been in Kuala Lumpur a few days, and I think it helps me that I am more used to the conditions than he was,'' Youzhny said.
Indian qualifier Rohan Bopanna defeated Jose Acasuso of Argentina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic stopped Igor Kunitsyn of Russia 6-1, 3-6, 6-2.
Also, Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina defeated Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-3, 6-3, and Karol Beck of Slovakia defeated Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3.