Top-Seeded Gaudio Leads Seed Exodus at Stuttgart

Top-seeded Gaudio joined No. 6 seed Kristof Vliegen, No. 8 seed Juan Ignacio Chela, No. 9 seed Gilles Simon, No. 11 seed Mikhail Youzhny, No. 12 seed Max Mirnyi, No. 15 seed Bjorn Phau and No. 16 seed Richard Gasquet on the sidelines.

Gaudio was beaten 6-4, 6-0 by fellow Argentine Mariano Zabaleta, winning just 33 of 69 service points and 20 of 58 points on return. Zabaleta won their seventh career meeting and first since the 2004 Bastad final.

"It's great for me to win matches again, after being out with a knee injury for about ten months," Zabaleta said. "I've played many times again Gaston but it never went like today. He was playing well in the first set but got a bit angry in the second. I start feeling confident and I'm looking forward to my next match. I like this tournament very much and it's great to be in the third round."

Zabaleta will next meet No. 13 seed Luis Horna, the Acapulco champion, who knocked out Spanish veteran Albert Portas 7-6(4), 6-2.

Munich finalist Vliegen retired with a right shoulder injury, while trailing Argentine Juan Monaco 6-3, 1-0, walking to the net to shake hands after 39 minutes.

Monaco will play Austrian Jurgen Melzer, a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Mirnyi.

Another member of the Independiente Tennis Club in Tandil, Argentina, advanced in Stuttgart.

Having played solely on clay this season, Juan Martin Del Potro won his third ATP-level match 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 over No. 8 seed Juan Ignacio.

Playing only his eighth ATP-level match, qualifier, Del Potro led 6-2, 3-0 only to see Chela fight back. Despite eight double faults, 18-year-old Del Potro broke on six of 13 opportunities -- including three-out-of-three in the final set for victory in two hours and three minutes.

"I'm very happy, this is an important step in my career," Del Potro said. "After winning against such a strong player as Chela is, I have to keep fighting and try to go as far as possible."

Gasquet, winner at Nottingham and last week in Gstaad, lost to Austrian Oliver Marach 6-4, 6-2. Marach will meet compatriot and lucky loser Stefan Koubek, a 7-6(6), 6-2 winner over Teimuraz Gabashvili.

Stanislas Wawrinka overcame Phau 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3 in a shade over two hours. Stanilas Wawrinka overcame Phau 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3 in a shade over two hours. There the Swiss will take on third-seeded David Ferrer, who restored order with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Jiri Novak.

Fifth-seeded Jose Acasuso required one hour and 40 minutes to beat Andreas Seppi 6-4, 7-6(2) for a third round meeting with Simon Gruel, a three set winner over Youzhny.
-- ATP