Top seeds Tommy Robredo and Guillermo Coria made confident starts to their bids for a first grasscourt title as they cruised into the second round of the Ordina Open on Monday.
Number one-seeded Spaniard Robredo eased past Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-4, 6-4 while Argentine Coria, runner-up to Frenchman Michael Llodra last year, crushed German lucky loser Lars Uebel 6-3, 6-1.
Robredo, who also lost to Llodra last year in the quarter-finals, outclassed Muller, breaking early in both sets and cruising to victory to set up a clash with another German, Lars Burgsmueller.
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"I took the opportunities I had and this gives me a lot of confidence," said Coria, who was making his first appearance since his surprise defeat by Nikolay Davydenko in the French Open fourth round.
"I went back to Argentina after Paris for some rest and than I started to prepare for the grasscourt season.
"I spent a lot of time on the courts back home and I really feel that I'm ready to go for a good swing and to get as many matches as possible here and at Wimbledon."
Llodra won his first match since March as he edged out German qualifier Denis Gremelmayr, the world number 379, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 while fifth seed Robin Soderling also advanced.
NAVRATILOVA OUT
In the women's tournament Martina Navratilova, playing what may be her last singles match in a WTA Tour event, gave Claudine Schaul of Luxembourg a scare before bowing out 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
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But Schaul hit back to take the second and withstood a late fightback from Navratilova to serve out for victory.
"It was pretty ugly out there," said Navratilova, who accepted a wildcard as extra preparation for her doubles commitments at Wimbledon next week.
"I played a bit better in the third set, but she played better too. I have won about 12 singles matches in about 12 years, so that doesn't give me too much confidence."
Navratilova also said the Tour may have seen the last of her as a singles player.
"I have no plans (to play more singles). Probably not. I may play some in Team Tennis but that's about it."
Top seed Elena Dementieva of Russia begins her campaign on Tuesday with a second-round clash against Czech Denisa Chladkova.