Wildcard Kiefer sees off Mathieu in Mumbai

MUMBAI: German wildcard Nicolas Kiefer saw off third-seeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4 6-3 in the first round of the Mumbai Open on Tuesday.   

Up a break at 4-3 on Monday, before rain forced a premature end to play for the day on the outdoor hardcourts, the former world number four wrapped up the match in another 48 minutes.   

Ranked 130, the 30-year-old Kiefer, who missed the second half of last season with a wrist injury, broke the 24th ranked Frenchman in the seventh and ninth games of the second set to seal the match.   

Fifth seed Fabrice Santoro beat fellow Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-1 6-2 in another first round match that was interrupted by rain.   

German Rainer Schuettler, who had won the opening set 7-5 against French seventh seed Julien Benneteau on Monday, cleared unfinished business, winning the second set 6-3 in their first round match.