Qualifier Brands ousts Dodig in Bucharest opener

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - German qualifier Daniel Brands ousted eighth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-6 (4), 6-2 at the Nastase Tiriac Trophy on Tuesday for his

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - German qualifier Daniel Brands ousted eighth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-6 (4), 6-2 at the Nastase Tiriac Trophy on Tuesday for his first win of the year on the ATP Tour.

In the second round, Brands will meet another qualifier, Estonia's Jurgen Zopp, who beat Romanian wild card Victor Crivoi 6-3, 6-3.

Sixth-seeded Italian Andreas Seppi defeated French qualifier Guillaume Rufin 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, and Romanian wild card Marius Copil and Italy's Fabio Fognini also won.

Gilles Simon of France, the 2007 and 2008 winner, is the top seed.