DUBAI, Feb 22: Feliciano Lopez, who broke into the world's top 20 for the first time last month, could be heading towards more career-first achievements at a tournament where last year he achieved his first ATP Tour final.

Lopez opened his campaign at the million dollar Dubai Open with a win over Paradorn Srichaphan, which revealed an increasing range of tactical options as well as the developing mental strength of a 23-year-old whose rise towards the elite has been slow but steady.

The blue-eyed fair-haired Spaniard is unusual in that he was raised on clay but has developed a style which is a natural for faster surfaces. On Tuesday against his popular Thai opponent on hard courts, he achieved a good balance between playing in the forecourt and the back court.

This saw Srichaphan dip a decent return of serve to ankle height, only for Lopez to get down to it and achieve enough height, angle and control to keep the ball in play and still get it past his opponent.

It earned Lopez a meeting with Andre Agassi, and the chance for a revenge over the legend who beat him only by the narrowest of margins in a final set tie-break in their last meeting, two years ago in Madrid.

On the evidence of Monday's full house first round in which Agassi beat Radek Stepanek, the winner of all four Grand Slams is the biggest draw in the tournament, something which is an attraction for Lopez as well. But Lopez was generous to Srichaphan, who was below his best. Srichaphan started poorly and double faulted his way to a double break deficit in the first set, but fought back encouragingly with the help of a little bit of luck in the second. He made the only break on the final point with a pass which took a net cord.

During that set Srichaphan served better and attacked the net more than usual, but he persisted with this inflexibly in the third and began to offer his opponent a predictable target.

That helped Lopez to make two comfortable passes to break serve at the first attempt in the third set, and thereafter he held on to the important advantage without undue alarm.

Later in the day Marat Safin, the first big hero of the 2005 season, suffered a stunning let-down when he lost 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 in the first round against the unseeded German Nicolas Kiefer.

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