Mon Jul 14 23:43:16 2008

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Simon, Tursunov win Indy openers; Ginepri stunned

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Indianapolis, Indiana (Sports Network) - Defending champion Dmitry Tursunov and second-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon were opening-round winners, while seventh-seeded American Robby Ginepri was upset in straight sets Monday at the $525,000 Indianapolis Tennis Championships.

Ginepri, the 2005 Indianapolis champion, was ousted by Chile's Paul Capdeville 6-4, 6-2 on the hardcourts at Indianapolis Tennis Center. Capdeville will face Australian Joseph Sirianni in the second round.

The Russian Tursunov blitzed countryman Igor Kunitsyn 6-3, 7-5 to start the defense of his title here. Tursunov beat Canadian Frank Dancevic in last year's Indy final.

Simon held off fellow Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, to set up a second-round meeting with German Benjamin Becker.

In other opening-round action, Becker handled Dane Kristian Pless 6-3, 6-4; Taipei's Yen-Hsun Lu outlasted American qualifier Justin O'Neal 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (14-12); and Sirianni topped Russian qualifier Mikhail Ledovskikh 6-3, 1-2, as Ledovskikh retired due to an ankle injury.

This week's top seed is American James Blake, who will open his stay here against Israeli Dudi Sela. Blake titled here in 2006. The 2008 Indianapolis titlist will pocket $83,500.