Home favourite downs Rusedski

Greg Rusedski was knocked out at the second-round stage of the Kremlin Cup by Russian Igor Kunitsyn in Moscow on Thursday.

The Briton, who reached the final of the tournament last year before losing to home favourite Nikolay Davydenko, made 28 unforced errors en route to a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 defeat.

Rusedski never looked comfortable against Kunitsyn and was sent tumbling out of the competition in one hour 24 minutes.

The Russian threatened to break the Briton's serve in the third game, but Rusedski held his nerve to take the advantage and go 2-1 up.

They remained neck-and-neck as Rusedski managed to limit his unforced errors to hold serve but in the tie break it was the assured Russian who exerted his authority to take it 7-5.

The Russian took the first game of the second set routinely and held advantage in the second but failed to capitalise as Rusedski levelled.

Kunitsyn broke Rusedski in the eighth game of the second set, placing his shots more accurately to go 5-3 ahead before holding out to take the set and the match.