González off to rough start at ATP tournament in Beijing

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SANTIAGO.- Fernando Gonzalez' debut match at the Beijing ATP tournament –which he took first place in last year- seemed like it would be an easy win for the Chilean athlete.  González was paired up against Go Saeda, ATP Nº 130 in the world, who has made little name for himself so far in the circuit.

Despite the significant difference in their rankings however, the Central Court match turned out to be anything but painless for Chile's number one tennis player.

González was forced to make a comeback after losing the first set, finally managing to seal the match following almost two hours of game play with set scores of 3-6, 7-6(4) and 6-1.

Fernando González will now have to confront German player Bjorn Phau (ATP Nº137) at approximately 3:30 AM Chilean time. González and Phau have faced each other once before in the ATP circuit, at a 2005 match in Valencia.