Moscow, Russia (My Sportsbook) - Unseeded Marat Safin toppled top-seeded fellow Russian Nikolay Davydenko in opening-round action Wednesday at the $1.08 million Kremlin Cup tennis event.

The former world No. 1 Safin, who expects to retire from the ATP at season's end, overcame and outlasted last week's Shanghai Masters champion Davydenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on the indoor hardcourts at Olympic Stadium. Safin moved on in just under two hours with the help of 10 aces and three service breaks.

The three-time Moscow titlist Davdyenko, who surprised former top-ranked star Rafael Nadal in last week's Shanghai finale, captured this tournament in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

The Muscovite Safin was last year's Moscow runner-up to fellow Russian Igor Kunitysn and was the 2006 runner-up here to Davdyenko.

Kunitsyn will not repeat as the titlist this year, as he succumbed to compatriot Evgeny Korolev 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 in round one on Wednesday. Korolev will battle the two-time major champion Safin on Thursday.

In second-round play on Day 3, third-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny whipped Italian Potito Starace 6-1, 6-1, fifth-seeded Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay came back to beat Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 and another Ukrainian qualifier, Sergiy Stakhovsky, upended seventh-seeded Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 7-5, 6-1. Santoro, like Safin, expects to retire this year.

One other first-round match saw Ukrainian qualifier Illya Marchenko take out Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin 1-6, 6-4, 4-1, retired, as Istomin gave way to a throat infection.

The 2009 Moscow champ will collect $170,000.