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Two Seeds, Safin Move On; Moya Falls In Sweden

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

(Sports Network) - Seventh-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, eighth-seeded Swede Robin Soderling and Wimbledon semifinalist Marat Safin all advanced, while fifth-seeded Spaniard Carlos Moya was sent packing Tuesday at the Swedish Open.

Italian Potito Starace saved a match point in a 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 upset of the former world No. 1 Moya on the red clay at Bastad Tennis Stadium. Moya titled here back in 2002.

Nieminen, meanwhile, completed a suspended match from Monday by dousing Argentine Sergio Roitman 6-4, 6-2, while Soderling held off Italian Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5 and an unseeded Safin, playing here for the first time in 10 years, bested Spanish qualifier Marc Lopez 7-6 (8-6), 7-5.

In other action involving Swedes, 36-year-old Jonas Bjorkman leveled Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-1; 2002 Australian Open titlist Thomas Johansson stopped wild card and compatriot Filip Prpic 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; wild card Michael Ryderstedt dismissed lucky-loser and fellow Swede Tim Goransson 6-1, 6-2; and wild card Ervin Eleskovic erased Italian Filippo Volandri 6-4, 6-4. Goransson joined the draw when sixth-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils pulled out with an ankle injury.

Additional Day-2 wins came for Belgians Olivier Rochus and Steve Darcis.

This week's top seed is also the defending champion, David Ferrer. The Spaniard defeated fellow countryman Nicolas Almagro in last year's finale.

Ferrer, who received an opening-round bye this week, will open defense of his title against Serbian Boris Pashanski.

The 2008 Bastad titlist will pocket $85,000.

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