Nikolay Davydenko made a smooth start to his latest bid to grab a place at the World Tour
Finals with a 6-2, 6-1 first-round win over qualifier Alejandro Falla at the Valencia Open on Monday.

A title for the Russian world number seven would go a long way to securing one of two remaining spots in London at the end of this month.

Seeded second behind Britain’s Andy Murray, Davydenko broke Colombian Falla five times, losing his own serve once, and came through in just over an hour to set up a clash against Juan Monaco or Martin Vassallo Arguello at the hard court event.

World number four Murray, who has been sidelined since the US Open in September with a wrist injury, plays his first-round match against Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver on Tuesday.

Frenchmen Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils and Spain’s Tommy Robredo are also in action on Tuesday, with all three still in with a slim chance of securing a place at the season-ending event in London from Nov. 22-29