ATP: Rajeev Ram's Newport defence off the mark

Reigning champion Rajeev Ram marched into the second round of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships with a routine victory over wildcard Mackenzie McDonald on Monday.

Ram, the 2009 and 2015 winner on grass in Newport, dispatched the world number 419 6-2 6-3 in just 67 minutes at the ATP 250 event.

Awaiting him in the second round will be Israeli Dudi Sela. The seventh seed brushed aside Slovak Lukas Lacko 6-3 6-2, while Marco Chiudinelli benefited from Vasek Pospisil's withdrawal from the tournament due to a back injury.

Elsewhere on Monday, eighth seed Evgeny Donskoy came from a set down to beat fellow Russian Karen Khachanov 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 at the Swedish Open.

Aljaz Bedene, seeded sixth, won a second set tie-break to get past local wildcard Isak Arvidsson on clay at the ATP 250 event.

They were joined in the second round by Facundo Bagnis, who accounted for Jurgen Zopp in three sets.