Defending champion Murray loses early in Montreal

Two-time defending champion Andy Murray is heading home early from the Rogers Cup after losing his opening match Tuesday, putting a major dent in his preparations for the upcoming U.S. Open.

Murray was convincingly beaten 6-3, 6-1 by unseeded South African Kevin Anderson in the second round.

The Scot, who had a bye in the first round, was seeded fourth. He's also fourth in the ATP rankings, while Anderson is ranked 35th.

Murray, who won the 2009 Rogers Cup in Montreal and defended his title last year in Toronto, said his South African opponent's serve is the best part of his game.

"If he serves well - it's a very fast court, it's tough to break - he can be dangerous," Murray said.

Anderson will next play either No.14 seed Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland or American Michael Russell.

The current world No. 1, Novak Djokovic, didn't get a chance to play Tuesday after a steady rain postponed his evening match against Russia's Nikolay Davydenko - as well as several other scheduled late-afternoon and evening encounters.

Wednesday's packed schedule will feature the three biggest names in the sport: Djokovic, No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

The former world No. 1 Federer lost last year's Rogers Cup final to Murray - but there will be no rematch this year at Montreal's Uniprix Stadium.

"I've always played very well here and today I couldn't get anything going," said Murray, who had 19 unforced errors in the match.

In first-round action, Gilles Simon was a surprise casualty, while his French compatriot Richard Gasquet advanced. Mikhail Youzhny was eliminated and Viktor Troicki won through.

Simon, seeded ninth, was beaten 7-5, 6-2 by German qualifier Philipp Petzschner, whose reward was a second-round meeting with big-serving Croat Ivo Karlovic.

Gasquet cruised past Germany Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-2 and will next meet Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci.

Another Frenchman to progress was Michael Llodra, who edged Russia's Youzhny 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4). Llodra will next face Latvia's Ernests Gulbis.

Troicki overcame a slow start to beat American qualifier Michael Yani 2-6, 6-3, 6-1, setting up a second-round encounter with either Marcos Baghdatis or John Isner, whose match was called off due to the weather.

Also, Canada's Vasek Pospisil reached the second round with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over 22nd-ranked Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina.

In other early action, Russell downed Spain's Albert Montanes 7-5, 6-2; and Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky upended Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 7-5; while Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia knocked out Colombia's Alejandro Falla 7-5, 6-1.