Berdych, Ljubicic advance; Ferrero exits Rome

Tennis Betting Lines

04/26/2010 - Rome, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tenth-seeded Tomas Berdych and 11th-seeded Ivan Ljubicic were a pair of first-round winners, while former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero came up a loser Monday at the $2.97 million Italian Masters, the fourth of nine Masters events on the ATP World Tour this year.

The Czech Berdych, a runner-up at the Masters event in Miami earlier this month, handled Spanish qualifier Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-3, while the Indian Wells Masters titlist Ljubicic, of Croatia, outlasted France's Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-5, 6-7 (1-7), 6-0 on the red clay at Foro Italico, which boasts a new center court stadium this year.

A 12th-seeded Ferrero, meanwhile, was surprised by Colombian qualifier Santiago Giraldo 6-0, 6-3 on Day 2. The former French Open champion Ferrero is a two-time clay-court champion so far this season and captured this Roman event back in 2001.

In other action involving seeds, No. 14 American John Isner overcame Argentine Horacio Zeballos 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5, No. 16 Argentine Juan Monaco got past Russian Igor Andreev 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, and Frenchman Julien Benneteau upended No. 15 American Sam Querrey 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 7-6 (7-2). The massive-serving 6- foot-9 Isner swatted 20 aces en route to the second round.

The Italian faithful were treated to a trio of home wild card wins on Monday, as Paolo Lorenzi beat Spaniard Albert Montanes 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, Potito Starace stifled Czech Jan Hajek 6-2, 6-2, and Filippo Volandri vaulted past Aussie qualifier Peter Luczak 6-4, 6-3.

Additional wins came for French qualifier Michael Llodra, German Philipp Kohlschreiber, Latvian Ernests Gulbis and Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Gulbis whipped former Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis 6-2, 6-2 to set-up a second-rounder against world No. 1 superstar Roger Federer.

This week's top seeds are the Australian Open, Wimbledon and French Open champion Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. Nadal is a four-time Italian Masters champion, including a victory over the 2008 titlist Djokovic in last year's marquee finale here. Federer is a two-time Rome runner-up.

The four-time French Open champion Nadal captured the Monte Carlo Masters tournament in his last outing two weeks ago.

Djokovic will open up here against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, while Nadal will encounter Kohlschreiber and Murray will meet Italy's Andreas Seppi in the round of 32.

Rome serves as a tune-up for the French Open, which will commence May 23 in Paris.

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A two-time Pro Bowler, Green was going into a feet-first hook slide when he was knocked unconscious by a thunderous, head-snapping hit from Cincinnati's Robert Geathers.

Oddsmakers at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com currently have the Chiefs listed as 7-point favorites versus the 49ers.

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Larry Johnson rushed for 126 yards on 27 carries. Damon Huard completed 17-of-23 passes for 133 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

To visit this online sports book got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.