Ferrer wins opener in Den Bosch
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}'s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands (Sports Network) - Former champion David Ferrer was among Tuesday's first-round winners at the $500,000 UNICEF Open, a final grass-court Wimbledon tune-up.
The top-seeded world No. 6 Ferrer topped Canadian qualifier Pierre-Ludovic Duclos 6-4, 6-4 in just over an hour-and-a-half at Autotron Rosmalen.
The Spanish Ferrer, who titled here in 2008, will meet Argentine Leonardo Mayer on Wednesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Day-3 upsets came when capable Belgian grass-courter Xavier Malisse doused second-seeded Serb Viktor Troicki 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 and France's Edouard Roger- Vasselin dismissed seventh-seeded Russian Alex Bogomolov Jr. 6-4, 6-4.
In other opening-round action, eighth-seeded Pole Lukasz Kubot drubbed Israeli Dudi Sela 6-1, 6-2 and Flavio Cipolla was leading fellow Italian Potito Starace 4-2 when Starace retired from their bout due to a back problem.
The newest UNICEF champion will collect $85,000.