Jarkko Nieminen defeated Janko Tipsarevic 7-5, 6-2 Monday in the first round of the St. Petersburg Open.
Lukas Dlouhy rallied to upset eighth-seeded Jurgen Melzer 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The 66th-ranked Tipsarevic was broken in the 12th game of the first set. Nieminen, ranked 18th, had two breaks in the second set.
``This is the best season in my career and my goal is to win here,'' said Nieminen, who won his first title in New Zealand in January and reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
Dlouhy saved five break points in the second set.
``I opened strongly but Dlouhy then served perfectly, while I lost my game,'' said Melzer, who won his first title in Bucharest in September.
Earlier, wild card Ernest Gulbis defeated Robin Vik 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4), and wild card Igor Kunitsyn saved seven breakpoints to oust Bjorn Phau 7-6 (6), 6-3. Wesley Moodie topped wild card Teimuraz Gabashvili 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.
