LYON, France, Oct 25 - Second seed Mariano Puerta
made an early exit from the Lyon Grand Prix on Tuesday, losing
4-6 7-5 6-3 to Belgian Olivier Rochus.
Rochus recovered after losing the first set to win a tight
battle against the Argentine who has struggled since denying a
report earlier this month that he had failed a drugs test.
French newspaper L'Equipe reported that he had tested
positive for a banned substance during his run to this year's
French Open final.
Puerta said he had taken anti-inflammatory tablets for a
sore leg after his French Open semi-final win over Russia's
Nikolay Davydenko.
Another seed bowed out on Tuesday, French qualifier Marc
Gicquel knocking out sixth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer 6-4 6-0.
Top seed Andy Roddick, who has not won a Tour match since
before the U.S. Open, is in action later against French wildcard
Thierry Ascione.