Newcomers Medvedev, Darcis advance at Chennai Open

CHENNAI, India (AP) Daniil Medvedev made a successful debut at the Chennai Open on Monday, beating another first-timer Thiago Monteiro of Brazil 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the second round.

The 99th-ranked Medvedev's booming serves and powerful groundstrokes left the result in little doubt. Riding on his serve, the 20-year-old Russian hit eight aces - on top of several unreturnable ones- with the Brazilian left-hander only briefly rallying in the second set.

Medvedev next plays either eighth-seeded Yen-Hsun Lu or Radu Albot.

Fast-moving Dudi Sela of Israel kept Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia on the run with pinpoint ground strokes to post a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win at the SDAT Nungambakkam stadium.

Sela faces the winner of the match between sixth-seeded Borna Coric and qualifier Hyeon Chung.

Belgian Steve Darcis quelled the challenge of Croatian qualifier Nikola Mektic 6-2, 6-3 to face third-seeded Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round.

Top-seeded Marin Cilic had a first-round bye.