Nalbandian Struggles to Opening Win at ATP Munich

Top-seeded David Nalbandian's rust showed Tuesday in a three-set win in his opener at the ATP stop in Munich against unseeded Nicolas Lapentti, with the Argentine posting a see-saw 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 win.

Nalbandian, who has been on an extended rest due to a virus and was making his claycourt debut for 2005, trailed 5-3 in the opening set, and blew a 4-1 lead in the third before closing it out.

Other seeded winners were (2) Nikolay Davydenko (d. Haehnel), (3) Mario Ancic (d. Acasuso), (4) Tommy Haas (d. Almagro), (5) Andrei Pavel (d. (WC) Waske), (6) Igor Andreev (d. Vanek), and (7) Paradorn Srichaphan (d. Wessels), with the only upset victim on the day (8) Rainer Schuettler (l. to Mello in straights).

Other un-seeds advancing were Argentine Juan Monaco (d. Burgsmuller), Aussie Wayne Arthurs (d. Labadze), and Dutchmen Sjeng Schalken (d. (WC) Summerer) and Raemon Sluiter (d. Zib).

On tap Wednesday in Munich is Florian "Oscar" Mayer vs. (Q) Luczak, (5) Pavel vs. Schalken, "Everyone Loves" Raemon Sluiter vs. (2) Davydenko, (Q) Nieminen vs. (Q) Ulihrach in an all-qualifier, H.-T. Lee vs. (LL) Lisnard, and Julien "United Colors of" Benneteau vs. (Q) Mertinak.