Aldi upsets Ferrer in Palermo

Palermo: Local wild card Francesco Aldi upset top-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the Palermo International on Tuesday. "I played well the entire match. I think I played the best match of my career," said the 164th-ranked Aldi, a Palermo native. The 13th-ranked Ferrer was the runner-up in Valencia this season and reached the semifinals in Rome, Miami, New Haven and Vina del Mar. He also reached the quarterfinals of the French Open. Meanwhile, Andreas Seppi also eliminated defending champion Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. The 21-year-old Seppi has reached the quarterfinals three times this season on the main ATP tour, including at the Masters Series event in Hamburg, Germany in May. Fourth-seeded Berdych won his only title at Palermo last year, and has reached only one final in Bastad in July after that. Seeking victory Earlier, third-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain beat Germany's Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-3. "I would like to win my first tournament of the year here in Palermo," said the 20th-ranked Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion. "I'm finally back in form and I hope to get back in the top 10 as soon as possible." Ferrero won the fifth and decisive match of Spain's Davis Cup tie with Italy on Sunday. Eighth-seeded Davide Sanguinetti of Italy won 6-7 (10), 6-1, 6-2 against France's Florent Serra, who was coming off his first tournament win in the BCR Open in Bucharest, Romania, earlier this month. Spain's Alberto Martin upset seventh-seeded Gael Monfils of France 1-6, 6-1, 6-4. Second-seeded Tommy Robredo beat fellow Spanish player Albert Portas 6-3, 7-5, and fifth-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain eliminated Tomas Zib of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-2. (AP)