Troicki takes three-set decision in Sydney

Seeded players Viktor Troicki and Radek Stepanek advanced in three sets Tuesday in first-round play of the Apia International tennis tournament in Sydney. Troicki, seeded fifth, defeated local favorite Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 behind a 13-serve attack. Hewitt had three service breaks but Troicki didn't allow Hewitt a break-point chance in the decisive third set. Stepanek, the No. 8 seed, was a 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4 winner over Xavier Malisse. Stepanek dropped serve just once in 16 games. Malisse had 10 aces and no double faults but still lost his serve three times over the last two sets. Stepanek had 14 aces but also six double faults. Alex Bogomolov Jr. beat Robin Haase 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 and Fabio Fognini took out Michael Russell 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 while Julien Benneteau beat Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-4 and Marcos Baghdatis topped Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4 in other first-round matches.