BUCHAREST, Romania (Ticker) -- 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. 

After advancing to the semifinals of the Kitzbuhel claycourt  
event in July, Blanco won just once in four matches last month 
on the hard surfaces in the United States. 

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. 

Defending champion Juan Balcells of Spain, the eighth seed,  
edged German qualifier Marc-Kevin Goellner, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4). 
Balcells also defeated Goellner in the semifinals here last 
year. 

Sixth-seeded Frenchman Jerome Golmard cruised past Andrew Ilie  
of Australia, 6-2, 6-2. 

Andrei Pavel, who captured the Tennis Masters Series event last  
month in Montreal, is the first Romanian to hold the top seed 
here.  A local player never has reached the final at this event. 

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, 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 champion will take home $54,000.