Fifth-seeded Andreas Seppi defeated Robin Haase in three sets on Tuesday to reach the second round of the Zagreb Indoors in Croatia.
Seppi, who beat Roger Federer in the third round of the Australian Open, won 6-2 3-6 6-4.
The Italian played solidly from the baseline and returned aggressively, pushing Haase to the limit in his service games in the third set.
Earlier, Russia's Mikhail Youzhny came from a break down in the final set to beat Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia 6-3 1-6 6-4.
Sixth-seeded Youzhny, the 2012 singles and doubles champion in Zagreb, was 4-3 down with Kavcic serving before rallying for his first singles victory this year. He lost in the opening rounds in Doha and the Australian Open.
"It was up and down for me, I made too many mistakes in the second set, but finally found the way," said Youzhny, who won his last match in October in Moscow.
"Yes, it has been a while since I've won a match, but I haven't played that many tournaments since then."
Serbia's Viktor Troicki, seeded seventh, came through a tough encounter with Ukrainian qualifier Ilya Marchenko, winning 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3). A semi-finalist in 2009, Troicki wasted a match point at 5-4.
"It happens sometimes," he said. "I even served very solid in that game, but he responded with some great returns."
Another former Zagreb champion Marcos Baghdatis needed three sets to overcome Croatian wildcard Toni Androic, who was playing his first ATP World Tour match. The 2007 champion won 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-3, but was not pleased with the level of his tennis.
"I did not play very well - I am very tired. I gave a lot mentally in Australia and I don't know if it was good decision to come here. But I will try to do my best," said Baghdatis, who lost to Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov in the third round of the Australian Open.
Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Japan's Go Soeda also advanced.
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