Hewitt, Murray Fall in Rome; Federer Faces Almagro Today

Fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro smashed 13 aces in a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Briton Tim Henman. Almagro, who recent defended his Valencia title, dropped just four points on his first serve and improved to 16-10 on the year and now faces World No. 1 Roger Federer Tuesday.

Another Spaniard, Oscar Hernandez, pulled the upset of the day knocking out Lleyton Hewitt, who was playing in his first event since injuring his back just before Miami. Hewitt took the first set 6-3, but Hernandez hit back to take the second set in a tie-break, and promptly broke Hewitt in the first game of the third set to take a 1-0 lead when play was suspended due to rain after 2 hrs., 12 mins. When play resumed, the qualifier wasted no time in closing out the 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-1 victory.

"I felt like I was a better player the first two sets. I just didn't take my chances," Hewitt said. "He got better as the match went on. But, for the first set and a half, especially I felt like I was the one that had breakpoints and opportunities to go up a set and a break and perhaps serve for the second set, and I just couldn't take the breakpoints when I had them." 

No. 10 Andy Murray was ushered out by Frenchman Gilles Simon. Murray, who had been sidelined with a back injury suffered during his doubles match at Masters Series Monte-Carlo, failed to chalk up a victory in his first appearance as a member of the Top 10. Simon converted on six of his 11 break chances against the 19-year-old Scot to deliver the 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 win.

"I think it's always when you come back after pretty much six weeks off the tour it takes a little bit of time to find your timing and get used to the sort of intensity that you play at week in and week out," said Murray.

Simon will next face Argentine qualifier Guillermo Canas, a 7-5, 6-2 winner over Austrian Jurgen Melzer.