Qualifier Upsets Former Champion Ferrero; Monaco Tops Andreev

© Getty ImagesSantiago Giraldo also beat another World No. 16, Tommy Robredo, at the Australian Open in January.

Colombian qualifier Santiago Giraldo completed one of the biggest wins of his career Monday at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, defeating No. 12 seed and 2001 titlist Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 6-0, 6-3 in just 59 minutes.

Giraldo, 22, came into the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tennis tournament having won an ATP Challenger Tour title at Pereira (d. Lorenzi). Ferrero, one of four players to win at least two ATP World Tour titles this season, dropped to an 18-4 clay-court record.

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American No. 14 seed John Isner fired 20 aces past the ATP's Newcomer Of The Year recipient for 2009, Horacio Zeballos of Argentina, in a 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 win in two hours and 37 minutes. Isner converted one of 10 break point opportunities for his 16th win of the year.

Isner's compatriot, No. 15 seed Sam Querrey, was not so fortunate. France's Julien Benneteau, the Open 13 finalist at Marseille in February (l. to Llodra), won his first match in five meetings against Querrey 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(2) in two hours and 44 minutes. Querrey hit 11 aces and converted four of 11 break point opportunities – one more than Benneteau – but won four fewer points overall.

Argentine No. 16 seed Juan Monaco, a quarter-finalist (l. to Gonzalez) last year, knocked out Igor Andreev of Russia 7-6(4), 7-5 in two hours and 18 minutes. It was the pair's first meeting in two years. World No. 52 Andreev will have to wait for the 200th tour-level win of his career (199-176 overall record).

Latvian Ernests Gulbis snapped a four-match losing streak against Marcos Baghdatis in a 6-2, 6-2 victory in 70 minutes. Gulbis won his first ATP World Tour title at Delray Beach (d. Karlovic) in February, while Baghdatis – playing in Rome for the first time since 2007 – captured his fourth title at Medibank International Sydney title (d. Gasquet) in January.

Ivan Ljubicic made a late night for himself, dropping the second set against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in a tie-break before finishing strongly to win 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-0 after 11 p.m. The Croatian, who recently won his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells, hit 14 aces and no double faults. Ljubicic next will meet the winner of Nicolas Almagro and Lukasz Kubot.