Bangkok - Number 585 Kittiphong Wachiramanowong gave John Isner all he could handle before the eighth seed secured a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) first-round victory at the Thailand Open Monday with 21 aces. Brazilian Tomaz Bellucci joined the seed in advancing as he beat Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) in the only other main-draw match played on a sparse opening day.
Tuesday's programme promises to lift the level, with retiring favourites Fabrice Santoro andMarat Safin due to make their first-round starts. Both men will give up the game at the Paris Masters in November.
Isner is playing in Asia for the first time in his career on the back of a US Open upset of compatriot Andy Roddick.
His defeat of local wild card Wachiramanowong left the Thai 0-7 this season on the ATP while Isner improved to 24-12 with summer semis in Indianapolis and Washington on hardcourt.
Isner trailed a break in the final set against the outsider, and needed all of his experience to finally close the gap in a deciding tiebreaker after nearly two and a quarter hours.
Isner, ranked 41st, next faces the winner from German Mischa Zverev or Argentine Leonardo Meyer.
Bellucci had a similar experience to Isner as his first-round opponent Garcia-Lopez also forced the issuesaving match points before losing.
Bellucci, ranked 61st, won the first trophy of his career two months ago in Switzerland. The winner fired four aces and broke twice from six chances.
Bellucci moved into a second-round clash with Serb Viktor Troicki.
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is defending his title while compatriot Gilles Simon makes his tournament debut on the second seeding ahead of American Sam Querrey.
Rafael Nadal had been due to headline, but withdrew to let an abdominal muscle strain heal.
Thai crowds will get to see the return of former star Paradorn Srichaphan when the 30-year-old teams in doubles with Danai Udomchoke. Paradorn has been out for two and a half years with a wrist injury and last played in the ATP in March, 2007.
