Russell advances at Atlanta tennis

ATLANTA, Georgia: Michael Russell won the first match of the pre-US Open summer hardcourt season Monday, starting the ATP Atlanta Championships with a 6-0, 6-3 thrashing of fellow American Donald Young.

Russell, 33, won his first main-draw match since early June at Queen's club with his 72-minute hammering of one-time prodigy Young.

Russell advanced on the first of three match points in steamy, hot conditions after breaking the hapless Young five times.

He will next play South African second seed Kevin Anderson, a 2010 semi-finalist in the event's inaugural edition. The 123rd-ranked Young lost his tenth match of the season.

The defending champion, American Mardy Fish, is top seed as he returns from a week of rest due to a lingering abdominal muscle strain. Fish beat Wimbledon marathon man John Isner in last year's final.

Luxembourg's Gilles Muller eliminated the week's first seed as he put out number seven Alex Bogomolov of the US 6-3, 7-6 (8/6).

In other matches Monday, Japan's Tatsuma Ito defeated Michael Berrer of Germany 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 and Somdev Devvarman of India beat Ryan Sweeting of the US 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.