Safin rebounds at Swedish Open

BASTAD, Sweden (AP) — Wimbledon semifinalist Marat Safin rebounded from an early 3-0 deficit to beat Marc Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 7-5 in the first round of the clay-court Swedish Open on Tuesday.

"It was tough because coming from grass it is a little bit different surface," Safin said after his first match in Bastad in 10 years.

"He has great hands and he is also a clay-court specialist. If he had won the first set I think it would have been a tough one because he is the kind of person that goes with the confidence."

Fifth-seeded Carlos Moya, the champion in 2002 and a semifinalist last year lost in the first round, squandered a match point in falling to Potito Starace 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6), 6-4 in his first match since a shoulder injury forced him to miss Wimbledon. Starace meets Safin next.