Two-time finalist Johansson makes quick exit at St. Petersburg

Thomas Johansson made an uncharacteristically quick exit at the $1 million St. Petersburg Open.

The eighth-seeded Swede, who won this event in 2005 and was a finalist last year, was ousted by Latvia's Ernests Gulbis , 6-2, 6-1, in the first round of the indoor tournament on Monday.

Johansson defeated German Nicolas Kiefer in three sets to claim the title here two years ago and lost to Croatian Mario Ancic , 7-5, 7-6 (7-2), in the 2006 final.

But Gulbis ended Johansson's hopes of another long run here by winning just his ninth match on the ATP Tour this season. In doing so, Gulbis will face either Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili or Chile's Nicolas Massu in the second round.

Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko opens his draw against Italy's Filippo Volandri later this week. The world's fourth-ranked player is seeking his second title of the season, having claimed his first title at the Kremlin Cup at Moscow earlier this month.

Davydenko is a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist this season, having lost to world No. 1 Roger Federer in the final four of both the U.S. Open and the French Open.

Britain's Andy Murray is the second seed here and opens against Max Mirnyi of Belarus. Coming off a wrist injury that cost him a huge chunk of the 2007 season, Murray is rounding back into form.

Murray was a finalist at Metz, where he lost in three sets to Spain's Tommy Robredo in the beginning of October before being ousted in the round of 16 in the two ensuing events at Moscow and Madrid.

Russia's Mikhail Youzhny is the third seed and Italy's Potito Starace is seeded fourth.

Seeded players in action Monday include No. 5 Dmitry Tursunov of Russia and No. 7 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany.

Tursunov improved on his two previous showing here by posting a 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-0) first-round victory over Jurgen Melzer of Austria.

The Russian next will face Serbian Boris Pashanski , who defeated Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez , 7-6 (10-8), 6-4.

Kohlschreiber, who was forced to retire from his quarterfinal match in Moscow earlier in the month, dispatched Evgeny Korolev of Russia, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.

The German will face another Russian in the second round in wild card Denis Matsukevitch , who defeated countryman Igor Kunitsyn , 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.