Third seed Rios falls at first hurdle

Third seed Marcelo Rios, who is on a comeback trail after being sidelined for three months with a knee injury, stumbled out 6-0 6-4 to Romanian qualifier Victor Hanescu in the first round of Croatia Open on Wednesday.

The Chilean joins top seed and Wimbledon runner-up David Nalbandian as early casualties of the $381,000 claycourt event. Rios, winner of the tournament in 2000, failed to negotiate the slow surface in his first competitive match since the Monte Carlo Masters in April and easily succumbed to the 21-year old Romanian.

"I haven't played for three months and simply lacked strength for this kind of game. In the first set I could hardly run, let alone play," Rios said.

Argentine Nalbandian, a surprise finalist at Wimbledon earlier this month, lost to qualifier David Ferrer of Spain on Monday.

Defending champion Carlos Moya, who beat Karol Kucera in the first round, is the only seed among the top three still left in the draw and will next face Sweden's Oliver Gross.