BUCHAREST, Romania (Ticker)  12/11/1999 

A return to clay courts did not spark a reversal of fortunes for Galo
Blanco.

The fifth-seeded Blanco was routed Monday by fellow Spaniard and  
lucky loser Marc Lopez, 6-2, 6-2, in the first round of the 
$400,000 Gelsor Open. 

But Blanco could not repeat his victory over Lopez in March,  
when he rolled to a 6-2, 6-2 triumph at the Estoril Open in 
Portugal. 
 Australia, 6-2, 6-2. 

A month ago in a move that may have eased Pavel's path to the final,
Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia withdrew due to injury.

In other first-round action on Mon., Germany's Tomas Behrend got past  
Spain's Jose Acasuso, 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, while Felix Mantilla of 
Spain routed Austria's Markus Hipfl, 6-0, 6-1. 

In a battle of Romanian wild-card entrants, Gabriel Trifu  
outlasted Ion Moldovan, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5).  Fernando Vicente 
of Spain disposed of Hugo Armando of the United States, 6-2, 
6-0. 

The 1999 champion will take home $54,000.