Los Angeles, July 29 - India's Somdev Devvarman failed to make headway after reaching the main draw of the LA Tennis Open and lost to fifth-seeded Russian Igor Kunitsyn 5-7, 2-6 in the first round.

Devvarman, who turned pro a year ago, should have won the first set, having broken the Russian's service twice, but could not press home the advantage Tuesday.

Kunitsyn, who has not won consecutive matches since reaching the Memphis quarter-finals in February, took the second set comfortably and with it the match, though tennis bookies had favoured the Indian to win it over three sets.

For the 24-year-old Indian, twice NCAA singles champion, this was the second successive defeat against the Russian, having lost to the world number 37 in his first pro tournament, Legg Mason Tennis Classic, 4-6, 1-6, after winning his first career ATP match defeating Taylor Dent.

Devvarman, a graduate of the University of Virginia, slumped 25 ranks to 152 on ATP charts released Monday from a career-best 125 last week.

Kunitsyn next plays Argentinean Leonardo Mayer who beat French qualifier Josselin Ouanna 6-2, 6-3.

American John Isner fired 15 aces and dropped only four points on his first serve in clinching two tough tie-breakers to surprise seventh-seeded German Benjamin Becker 7-6(8), 7-6 (3) as he carried his form that took him into last week's Indianapolis semi-finals.