Novak Djokovic had his work cut out for him in a second-round match on Tuesday, but the top-seeded Serb survived and advanced at the $3 million Western & Southern Open.
Djokovic, a four-time runner-up in this Masters 1000 event, needed two hours, 10 minutes to dispose of Gilles Simon, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Tuesday's only other second-round match saw Australian Open champ and third- seeded Stan Wawrinka defeat German qualifier Benjamin Becker 6-3, 7-6 (7-5). Wawrinka captured his first-ever Masters title in Monte Carlo back in April.
Last week's surprise Toronto Masters titlist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was not as fortunate in first-round action, losing 6-1, 6-4 to Russian veteran Mikhail Youzhny.
Tsonga, who was seeded 12th this week, upset top-10 stars Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Grigor Dimitrov last week, including Federer in the final in Toronto.
In other first-round play on the hardcourts at Lindner Family Tennis Center, ninth-seeded Latvian Ernests Gulbis used a pair of tiebreaks to best Croat Ivan Dodig 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (7-4); 13th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut outlasted Martin Klizan 6-2, 4-6, 7-5; and 14th-seeded Croat Marin Cilic handled Spanish left-hander Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4.
American wild card Robby Ginepri advanced by edging out Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 on Day 3, while American Steve Johnson cruised past Benoit Paire in a 6-4, 6-1 final.
Additional first-round wins came for Frenchman Julien Benneteau, British qualifier James Ward, Italian Andreas Seppi and Canadian Vasek Pospisil, who overcame Czech veteran Radek Stepanek 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4). Pospisil was a runner-up in Washington, D.C. two weeks ago and will face five-time Cincinnati champion Roger Federer on Wednesday.
The winner of this U.S. Open Series tournament will earn $638,850.
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