Hewitt sees off Soderling

Lleyton Hewitt saved two match points on the way to a battling victory over Robin Soderling at the Cincinnati Masters.

Meanwhile, Fernando Verdasco and Fernando Gonzalez were also first-round casualties.

Hewitt dropped the first set to the French Open finalist but came through a lengthy second-set tie-break before wrapping up a 3-6 7-6 (10/8) 6-4 victory over 12th seed Soderling.

Verdasco, seeded 11th, was a potential fourth-round opponent for new world number two and defending champion Andy Murray but he fell at the first hurdle, 7-6 (7/4) 7-6 (7/4) to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Tenth seed Gonzalez lasted only one set against Tomas Berdych, which he lost 6-4, before retiring.

Qualifiers Mikhail Youzhny and Chris Guccione both made progress, the Russian beating Victor Hanescu 7-5 6-2 while Australian Guccione battled past Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5 2-6 6-3.

Austria's Jurgen Melzer needed nearly three hours to see off Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 5-7 7-6 (7/4) 7-6 (9/7) in another tight match.

Meanwhile, Italy's Andreas Seppi guaranteed a second-round meeting with second seed Rafael Nadal thanks to a 3-6 6-4 6-1 victory over Jan Hernych.

Igor Kunitsyn got the better of American James Blake in a tough encounter which ended 7-6(5) (5)6-7 6-4 to the Russian and qualifier Simone Bolelli, of Italy, exited at the hands of Phillip Petzschner.

In the second round David Ferrer ousted 14th seed Marin Cilic 7-6(4) 6-4 and Gilles Simon, ranked nine in the tournament, bested Igor Andreev 7-6(5) 6-7(6) 6-1.

In the day's final match, America's John Isner edged out German Tommy Haas 7-6(5) 5-7 7-6(3).