Three-time French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten defeated seventh-seeded Filippo Volandri of Italy 6-3, 6-1 to snap an 18-month winless streak in the first round of the Brazil Open on Tuesday.
Kuerten has battled to recover from a right hip injury and surgery in 2004. His previous ATP-level victory was in August 2005 in the first round of the US Open. Since then, he'd lost his only match last year -- at Costa do Sauipe -- and two round-robin matches in Vina del Mar, Chile two weeks ago.
"I knew it was just a matter of time; I'm improving physically and this win should give me more confidence," the 30-year-old Kuerten said. "I was able to serve well and maintained a good rhythm."
PHOTO: AFP
The former No. 1, now ranked 1,076th and playing as a wild card, served 13 aces and needed only 46 minutes to eliminate Volandri.
Kuerten has won 20 ATP titles, including the Brazil Open in 2002 and 2004, and the French Open in 1997, 2000 and 2001.
Second-seeded Agustin Calleri, the Costa do Sauipe runner-up to Kuerten in 2004, beat Argentine countryman Diego Hartfield 6-4, 6-1 in the only other match completed before play was suspended on Tuesday until yesterday because of rain.
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