Schuettler back in driver's seat at BMW Open

MUNICH, Germany (Ticker) -- Two days after losing in a clay-court final at Monte Carlo, top-seeded Rainer Schuettler of Germany beat Robin Soderling of Sweden, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in a first-round match Tuesday at the BMW Open.

Schuettler was overwhelmed by Guillermo Coria, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3, in Sunday's final of the Monte Carlo Masters. Schuettler beat Gustavo Kuerten, Lleyton Hewitt and Carlos Moya last week before falling to Coria.

On Monday, Schuettler beat Soderling, who reached the Marseille final in late February but has not been past the second round since then. Soderling lost in the first round to Feliciano Lopez last week in Monte Carlo.

Second-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand continued to struggle on clay, losing to Belgian Olivier Rochus, 6-3, 6-2, Tuesday in a first-round match.

Srichaphan was 2-6 on clay during this swing last year and was beaten in the first round at Monte Carlo last week.

Third-seeded Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic and No. 5 Vincent Spadea of the United States won their first-round matches on Tuesday. Novak defeated Russia's Mikhail Youzhny, 6-4, 6-2 and Spadea beat Dieter Kindlmann of Germany, 6-4, 6-2.

Former world No. 2 Tommy Haas of Germany accepted a wild card into the tournament and downed Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-2 in a first-round match.

Haas, who missed the entire 2003 season with a shoulder injury, won the Houston title two weeks ago and fell in the second round of Monte Carlo last week. He improved to 5-0 against Ulihrach.

In other matches featuring unseeded players, Alexander Waske beat Goran Ivanisevic, 6-4, 7-6 (7-0); Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated Kenneth Carlsen, 7-6 (11-9), 6-4; Michel Kratochvil downed Xavier Malisse, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 and Boris Pashanski beat Wesley Moodie, 6-4, 6-3.

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