Del Potro starts with a win on return to Los Angeles

Los Angeles - Former champion Juan Del Potro picked up where he left off three years ago at the Farmers Classic Wednesday with the second seed posting a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) opening win over American James Blake.

Del Potro won the 2008 LA event in his only previous appearance, taking out American opponents Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick.

The Argentine has solidified on a 19th ranking after spending almost all of 2010 recovering from wrist surgery and is keen to return to the top five.

Del Potro's victory ended a run of form for the 31-year-old Blake, who has dropped to 90th on the ATP as he fights a slump. He finished it off after one and three-quarter hours with his sixth ace in a tiebreaker.

'I have my best tennis memories in this country,' said the winner. 'I'm happy to be back playing in Los Angeles. I'm improving my level but I'm still far from the top ten,' said the one-time number four.

'I want to keep improving my level match by match. This is my favourite surface.'

Del Potro will face a quarter-final against Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who continued his comeback under the wing of new coach Guillermo Canas with a defeat of American Daniel Kosakowski 6-2, 6-4 as his recovery continues from a five-match losing streak going back to early May.

Del Potro's victory was his 36th of the season against just nine defeats after winning titles in Delray Beach and Estoril.

Rusty third seed Marcos Baghdatis fell victim to on-form Lu Yen-Hsun as the challenger earned a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Baghdatis, a former Australian Open finalist, was playing his first match since Wimbledon, while Taiwan's Lu has got match-tough on hard court with an Atlanta quarter-final last week as his buildup to the US Open began.

The upset took just 73 minutes as 2010 quarter-finalist Baghdatis failed to advance against his 76th-ranked rival. Baghdatis had won their only prior meeting two years ago in Kuala Lumpur.

'It was a tough match and I didn't play so well,' said Baghdatis. 'I didn't take my time. Lu played well. It was bad luck to me.

Baghdatis will continue next week in Washington. 'I need some matches. I'm playing well. I just need to win a few and the confidence will come back. It's a matter of time.'

Lu lifted his 2011 record to 11-16 as he set up a clash on Friday against rising US player Ryan Harrison, an Atlanta semi-finalist who beat countryman Michael Russell 6-3, 6-4 in Los Angeles.

'Having a first-round match helped me,' said Lu, who beat Baghdatis after the Cypriot had a bye in the first round.

'It was his first match since Wimbledon. I know he can play better, but it always helps to have a match to get accustomed to conditions. He's a better player than he showed today. I played better on the important points today. That was a big part of the victory.'

DPA