Stockholm - Third seed Jarkko Nieminen picked up his level after a timid first set, defeating Brazilian newcomer Tomaz Bellucci 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-5 to start his quest for a Stockholm Open title on Wednesday. The neighboring Finn who trains frequently in the capital in the off-season, will line up in the second round against Arnaud Clement after the 2001 Australian Open finalist defeated local qualifier Bjorn Rehnquist 6-2, 6-1.
Swiss journeyman George Bastl, who also qualified into the field at the Kunligahallen, ended a run of five successive ATP defeats stretching back nearly three months as he put out Dane Frederik Nielsen 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 7-6 (7-4).
Nieminen, ranked 33rd and two times a losing Stockholm finalist, said he had to rise to the occasion against the surprising number 80 Bellucci.
"I was too passive in the beginning but I managed to get more aggressive in the second set," said the Finn whose lone career title came in Auckland two years ago.
"I just kept thinking positive and fought to the end."
The 27-year-old lifted his record in the capital to 12-8 and brings a 1-0 record over Clement from 2003 in Miami into their second-round clash.
Nieminen managed 11 aces in his winning effort of Bellucci lasting nearly two and a half hours, improving his 2008 record to almost level on 22-24.
On Thursday, Argentine top seed David Nalbandian will aim for the quarter-finals against Swede Joachim Johansson, now back on court after a one-year retirement due to shoulder surgery.
