Wawrinka downed in Mexico Open

Acapulco (Mexico), Feb 27 (IANS)

Fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka has become the highest-profile casualty so far at the ATP 500 tournament here after a surprise first-round defeat to Italian outsider Fabio Fognini.

Fognini made light of the 26 ranking places separating him from his Swiss opponent as he ousted the world No.17 in a 6-2, 7-6(3) victory Tuesday.

Fognini now faces the winner of the only first-round match yet to be played, pitting Argentina’s former Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian against Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene.

Elsewhere Tuesday, top seed David Ferrer progressed with ease in a 6-0, 6-3 rout of Croatian Antonio Veic and now plays American qualifier Wayne Odesnik in the second round.

Apart from Wawrinka, two more seeds fell. Russia’s Andrei Kuznetsov bounced back from a set down to oust sixth seed Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, and seventh-seeded Frenchman Benoit Paire fared no better as Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi ousted him 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

In the women’s draw, there were few surprises as all the seeds in action reached the second round. Top seed Sara Errani led the way with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Romania’s Alexandra Cadantu, while Carla Suarez Navarro, Alize Cornet and Romina Oprandi all won.

The Acapulco tournament is a clay-court event. It offers a $1.2 million prize fund for the men, while for the women it is a lowly WTA International event offering prize money of $235,000.