Bellucci, Youzhny win 1st-round matches at Geneva Open

GENEVA (AP) Two-time Swiss Open champion Thomaz Bellucci ousted seventh-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the Geneva Open on Monday.

Bellucci, a left-hander from Brazil, carried over the form which saw him push Novak Djokovic to three sets at the Italian Open last week.

After wasting a 5-2 lead in the first set, Bellucci held serve the rest of the way on his favored clay-court surface.

Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, who followed Bellucci as champion at Gstaad in 2013, beat Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), getting just his sixth tour win this year.

The Geneva Open is debuting on the ATP tour after replacing an event in Duesseldorf, Germany.

Top-seeded Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland has a bye into the second round.