Verdasco hit six aces and won 23 of 30 first service points to overcome World No. 13 Youzhny 6-3, 6-2 in 77 minutes in the pair’s first meeting. Two years ago the 24-year-old reached the quarterfinals (l. to Acasuso).
For the third year running Youzhny has suffered a first round exit in Hamburg and drops to 15-8 on the 2008 ATP season. The 25-year-old captured his fourth career ATP title at Chennai (d. Nadal) in January and was returning to the ATP circuit for the first time since ATP Masters Series Monte-Carlo last month.
Verdasco will next meet Michael Llodra, a two-time titlist on the ATP circuit this at Adelaide (d. Nieminen) and Rotterdam (d. Soderling). The Frenchman defeated dangerous Argentine Guillermo Canas 7-6(7), 6-2.
Australian Open finalist and No. 14 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga knocked out French compatriot Nicolas Mahut, currently No. 42 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, with a 0-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 victory in one hour and 55 minutes on Center Court. Both players were making their debuts at the third clay-court ATP Masters Series event of the season.
"It was difficult for me to go in the court, to the net," Tsonga said about his slow start. "Of course, he played better than me in this set, but I fought all the match, I was all the time fighting in my head and at the end I'm the winner."
Tsonga, who also reached the Adelaide semifinals (l. to Nieminen) in January, won just 12 of 40 points in the first set, but recovered to hit five aces and win 33 of 39 points on first serve points in the second and third sets. The 23-year-old will next meet either Russian Igor Andreev or Robin Soderling of Sweden in the second round. Mahut drops to 9-12 on the season (1-4 on clay).
Scot Andy Murray(pictured right) improved to 4-0 lifetime against Dmitry Tursunov of Russia in the pair’s first clay-court meeting. Murray, the No. 15 seed who suffered a right wrist injury at the tournament last year, triumphed 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 33 minutes on Center Court. Tursunov has now lost in the Hamburg first round for the last three years.
"He is a tough guy to play," said Murray. "He’s very unpredictable. But I kept my concentration all throughout the match, did not get broken. That is important. When you are on top of him, you've got to try and stay on top."
The 20-year-old Murray, who is being coached by two-time former Roland Garros finalist Alex Corretja during the European clay-court season, broke the Tursunov serve in the third game of the first set and in the third, fifth and seventh games of the second set. He has already clinched two ATP titles at Doha (d Wawrinka) and Marseille (d Ancic) this year and has an 18-8 match record.
Earlier in the day, Argentine No. 12 seed Juan Monaco advanced following Filippo Volandri's decision to retire with a right knee injury after 58 minutes of play in their first round clash. Monaco will next meet recent Munich finalist Simone Bolelli of Italy, who beat Spanish qualifier Marcel Granollers 7-5, 6-2 in one hour and 33 minutes.
Spaniard Fernando Verdasco (pictured) caused the biggest upset of the day when he beat 10th seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia Monday for a place in the second round of Masters Series Hamburg presented by EON Hanse. 
Scot Andy Murray (pictured right) improved to 4-0 lifetime against Dmitry Tursunov of Russia in the pair’s first clay-court meeting. Murray, the No. 15 seed who suffered a right wrist injury at the tournament last year, triumphed 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 33 minutes on Center Court. Tursunov has now lost in the Hamburg first round for the last three years.