VINA DEL MAR, Chile -- It took three events, but Jose Acasuso finally recorded his first match win of 2006.
The third seed from Argentina, Acasuso cruised into the second
round of the $380,000 Movistar Open on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-3
rout of Ivan Navarro Pastor of Spain.
Acasuso, who lost in the first round at Auckland to Christophe
Rochus and his opening-round match at the Australian Open to
James Blake, will play Argentine qualifier Gustavo Marcaccio in
the second round.
Later Tuesday, Fernando Gonzalez tries to bounce back from a
disappointing performance at the Australian Open against Greek
Vasilis Mazarakis.
The second seed at this claycourt event, Gonzalez lost a
five-set thriller to American Alex Bogomolov Jr. in the first
round of the year's first major two weeks ago. The winner will
meet Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round.
Last year, Gonzalez reached the final here before losing to
Gaston Gaudio, the top seed this week.
Other seeds playing Tuesday are No. 7 Carlos Berlocq of
Argentina, who was meeting Czech qualifier Leos Friedl, and
eighth-seeded Serbian Boris Pashanski, who opposes Brazilian
Flavio Saretta.