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American qualifier Bobby Reynolds (pictured) knocked out former World No. 1 Marat Safin 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(5) Thursday for a place in the Sony Ericsson Open second round against another Russian, No. 11 seed Mikhail Youzhny.

World No. 104 Reynolds was unable to convert one match point on the Safin serve at 5-4 in the third set and fought back from a 3-1 deficit in the deciding tie-break with four consecutive points. The 25-year-old Georgia resident held his nerve and clinched victory in two hours and 17 minutes.

"I feel like I served really well," said Reynolds, after snapping a four-match losing streak. "[I] gave myself a lot of opportunities with break points. I kept fighting and I think that's the biggest attribute to my game is I never give up. Just keep fighting."

Safin, who reached the 2002 Miami quarterfinals (l. to Hewitt), saved nine of 10 break point opportunities but could only win 27 per cent of points on return of serve. The 28-year-old struck 19 aces – a feat matched by Reynolds – but drops to 1-5 record on the season. His last win came at the Australian Open in January, when he lost to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in the second round.

"I enjoy what I'm doing," said Safin. "So it's not the subject of if I'm not winning any matches I have to retire straightaway. I can still travel and enjoy it, and if the good days will come, they will come. If not, I will stop anyway."

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Austrian Jurgen Melzer recorded his third successive career win over World No. 38 Michael Llodra of France, a two-time titlist on the ATP circuit this year. Melzer, currently No. 78 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, struck seven aces and saved five of six break point opportunities in a 7-6(6), 7-6(5) victory in one hour and 48 minutes.

Llodra, who has collected trophies at Adelaide (d. Nieminen) and Rotterdam (d. Soderling), drops to 14-6 after his fourth opening round exit this year. Melzer goes on to meet 12th-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round.

Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty was unable to improve his record on his 12th consecutive appearance in Miami, after Latvian teenager Ernests Gulbis knocked out the 30-year-old 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in one hour and 51 minutes.

Hrbaty, who underwent right elbow surgery on September 4 last year, was appearing in his first ATP main draw since losing in the US Open first round to Hyung-Taik Lee in August 2007. Las Vegas quarterfinalist Gulbis will now challenge fourth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko for the first time.

Julien Benneteau (pictured right) will meet big-serving Croatian No. 19 seed Ivo Karlovic in the second round after beating World No. 92 Rainer Schuettler of Germany 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 in 90 minutes. Benneteau, who reached the Auckland semifinals (l. to Ferrero) in January, won 80 per cent of first service point.

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