Top seed Ferrer begins Tokyo defence with win

 Top seed David Ferrer began the defence of his title at the $969,000 Japan Open with a 6-4 4-6 6-1 victory over American Jesse Levine on Wednesday.

The Spanish world number five, chasing a berth at the season-ending ATP Tennis Masters Cup, recovered from a poor second set with a clinical finish in Tokyo.

Ferrer secured the first set when he chased down a Levine drop shot and whipped a forehand cross-court winner past his 101st-ranked opponent.

The Spaniard failed to capitalise and Levine broke Ferrer’s serve in the opening game of the second set before levelling the match with a big serve down the middle.

However, Ferrer’s superior class showed in the decider as he buried Levine in a flurry of huge ground strokes, closing out the match with an ace to book his place in the last 16.

Second seed Andy Roddick, also closing in on a place in next month’s prestigious eight-man shootout in Shanghai, was facing Czech Ivo Minar later on Wednesday.