Basel, October 25:

Defending champion Fernando Gonzalez edged Simone Bolelli of Italy 7-6 (3), 6-7 (2), 7-6 (3) in the first round of the Swiss Indoors on Wednesday. Gonzalez, who is still trying to qualify for next month’s Masters Cup in Shanghai, had two winners and an ace in the third-set tiebreaker. In the first set, Gonzalez had treatment on his foot, but later said he wasn’t injured. The seventh-ranked Chilean still won the set after Bolelli made three unforced errors in the tiebreaker.

The only breaks of the match came in the second set — Bolelli in the fifth game and Gonzalez in the sixth. Gonzalez will play Mardy Fish of the United States on Thursday in the second round. Two-time champion Tim Henman of Britain also advanced, beating Christophe Rochus of Belgium 6-2, 6-3. Jose Acasuso and Juan Ignacio Chela also won.

Acasuso defeated Albert Montanes of Spain 6-4, 6-3 and will next play Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, while Chela downed Filippo Volandri of Italy 6-4, 7-5 to set up a second-round match against Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand.