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Wawrinka falls in Vienna opener
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-08 14:40
VIENNA-- Top seed Stanislas Wawrinka of Switerland was ousted 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (5) by German qualifier Philipp Petzschner in the opening round of the Austrian Open on Tuesday.

Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka reaches to return a forehand to Britain's Andy Murray during their match at the US Open tennis tournament at Flushing Meadows in New York, September 1, 2008.  [Agencies] 

Petzschner, ranked 125th, placed his Swiss opponent under pressure right from the start, breaking to lead 2-1.

But Petzschner then dropped his own serve to love, and although he broke again to lead 3-2 he once more failed to hold his next service game.

Tenth-ranked Wawrinka went on to claim the tiebreak, but Petzschner continued his strong challenge in the second set. His ability to mix up his game and pressure Wawrinka with his returns quickly earned him a 5-1 lead.

After dropping the second set, Wawrinka began the third set by breaking to love, but Petzschner levelled at 2-2 and then broke again to lead 5-3.

In a dramatic conclusion the German then failed to serve out for the match, before edging the tiebreak and claiming victory when Wawrinka netted a backhand.

Elsewhere, second seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile was also stretched, but he emerged from a two-hour, 18-minute battle against Italian Simone Bolelli with a 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory.

In other first round matches, Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated Marc Gicquel of France 6-2, 6-2, in an all-Czech clash Radek Stepanek overcame qualifier Pavel Snobel 6-4, 6-2, Ernests Gulbis of Latvia beat Italy's Filippo Volandi 6-2, 6-3, and former two-time champion Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia slumped to a 7-6 (3), 6-3 defeat by Austria's Jurgen Melzer.