Coria, Nalbandian advance in China Open
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-09-13 22:23

Argentina's Guillermo Coria and David Nalbandian shook off the effects of jet-lag to advance to the second round of the China Open on Tuesday.

Second seed Coria brushed aside Chinese qualifier Zeng Shaoxuan 6-2 6-1 while Davis Cup team mate Nalbandian overcame Denmark's Kristian Pless 6-3 7-6 to reach the last 16.

Top seed Rafael Nadal will have to wait until Wednesday to play his first-round match after his Taiwanese opponent Wang Yeu-tzuoo failed to arrive in Beijing.

Coria's first match since losing a tough five-setter to American Robby Ginepri in the U.S. Open quarter-finals was little more than a gentle work-out.

"It was a long journey from New York so I'm pleased to do enough to win," said world number eight Coria. "The goal now is to make sure I can qualify for the Masters Cup in Shanghai."

Only the top eight players in the world qualify for the season-ending Masters Cup. Nalbandian is behind Coria at nine.

EARLY BREAK

The form that took him to the U.S. Open quarter-finals briefly threatened to desert Nalbandian as the number three seed went an early break down to Pless in a rapid-fire first set.

But the 2002 Wimbledon finalist quickly recovered to take the opener in just 15 minutes and swept through the second-set tiebreak 7-2.

"I still have terrible jet-lag but I won without playing my best so that's good enough," said the world number nine. "He hit the ball well but everybody does. You need more than that."

Nalbandian next plays Israeli qualifier Amir Hadad, who toppled big-serving Belgian Dick Norman 7-5 7-6.

Former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson ousted fellow Swede Jonas Bjorkman 6-4 6-3 in the day's opening match following a two-hour rain delay.

Fourth seed Johansson takes on Jarkko Nieminen in the second round after the Finn's easy 6-4 6-2 victory over Germany's Rainer Schuettler.

Nadal's opponent Wang told organisers he had business to conduct in Turkey and China Open officials will hand the Spanish 19-year-old a walkover if Wang fails to appear on Wednesday.

American Justin Gimmelstob is likely to face Nadal in the second round after overpowering Croatia's Roko Karanusic 6-4 6-1.

World number two Nadal is bidding for his 10th title of the year at the $1.1 million tournament in Beijing this week.

Last year's runner-up Mikhail Youzhny made progress with a 7-5 6-4 win over Australian qualifier Nathan Healy.

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