MASON - August 14, 2006 - Americans turned in a resounding opening day at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters, with four of the five players in action Monday picking up first round wins.

Robby Ginepri (blog) began the American charge on Center Court, fighting back from an opening set rout to defeat Paul-Henri Mathieu 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Ginepri has now won six of his last nine matches and improves to 8-4 in Cincinnati. The American’s best showing here came last year when he reached the semifinals before falling to champion Roger Federer.

With the win, Ginepri will next face California-raised Russian Dmitry Tursunov. Earlier this year, Tursunov narrowly defeated Ginepri in the first round at Memphis.

Top American James Blake followed Ginepri by outshining Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-4 in the evening session. Blake, who has lost to the eventual Cincinnati champion in his last two tournament appearances, next encounters former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, who advanced when Swede Jonas Bjorkman retired with a lower back injury.

Qualifier Nicolas Mahut became the third Frenchman in a row to fall to an American on Monday in Cincinnati when wild card Mardy Fish, the 2003 tournament finalist, prevailed 6-1, 6-3.

After a 54-minute rain delay, Vince Spadea wrapped up opening day proceedings by closing the 6-4, 6-3 win over fellow qualifier Andreas Seppi.

Fish awaits one of two Chileans - Nicolas Massu or Fernando Gonzalez - in the second round, while Spadea meets Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela, who recorded the tournament's first big upset by defeating No. 5 seed Nikolay Davydenko.

Wild card Paul Goldstein was the only American to bow out Monday, losing to No. 16 seed Dominik Hrbaty in straight sets.