Baghdatis earns first ATP win in a month at Los Angeles

Marcos Baghdatis, a finalist at the 2006 Australian Open, claimed his first ATP victory in a month with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 first-round decision over Canada's Frank Dancevic at the Los Angeles Open on Tuesday.

The smiling Cypriot who was carried off court on a stretcher in the Netherlands with a knee injury the week before Wimbledon, came good after going out in the first round last week in Indianapolis as he began his summer hardcourt season.

Baghdatis is playing the event for the second time since 2005, when he lost in the first round to Juan Chela.

The No 146 will line up against big-hitting American John Isner, who upset German fifth seed Benjamin Becker 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/3).

Dancevic, a special exempt entry, was coming off a semi-final at Indy, where he lost to Sam Querrey, seeded sixth here this week and opening against Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan later.

Russian fifth seed Igor Kunitsyn stopped Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman 7-5, 6-2. Ernests Gulbis, loser of eight of his previous ten matches dating to late April, advanced over Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun 7-5, 6-2.

No 205-ranked qualifier Carsten Ball joined fellow Australian Chris Guccione in the second round as he beat Frenchman Marc Gicquel 6-2, 7-5 (8/6). The Aussie next plays third seed Dkitry Tursunov of Russia.

American Ryan Sweeting inflicted 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 pain on compatriot Taylor Dent, whose comeback after back surgeries and three compromised seasons continued to hit the wall.

Eighth seed Marat Safin, who won an exhibition on the opening night over Pete Sampras, faces Indianapolis champion Robby Ginepri in the first round.