SYDNEY, Jan 7: South Africa’s Wayne Ferreira put Arnaud Clement’s preparations for next week’s Australian Open in a spin when he eliminated the fifth seed 6-2 6-4 Monday in the first round of the Sydney international.

Clement, 24, one of the heroes of France’s Davis Cup final win over Australia in Melbourne last month, was runner-up in last year’s Australian Open.

Spain’s seventh seed Carlos Moya also went out in the first round, losing to South Korea’s Hyung-Taik Lee 7-6 7-6.

Australia’s Wayne Arthurs, who lost the deciding rubber in the Davis Cup final against Nicolas Escude, was beaten on Monday by Max Mirnyi of Belarus 7-5 7-6.

Unseeded Russian Anna Kournikova beat Spain’s Angeles Montolio 6-4 6-2 in their women’s first round match.

Kournikova rashed out in the semifinals of the Auckland Classic last week.

The Russian will face world number six Serena Williams in the second round.

Kournikova, 20, who turned professional in October 1995, has never won a singles title. Once ranked as high as eighth in the world in 2000, the Russian is now ranked 66th.

In other matches, South Africa’s Amanda Coetzer made quick work of Australian world number one Lleyton Hewitt’s sister Jaslyn, winning 6-0 6-1 while American Alexandra Stevenson beat Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan 6-1 6-7 7-5.

First round results:

Men’s: 3-Andy Roddick (US) bt Andrew Ilie (Australia) 6-4, 6-4; Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) bt Albert Costa (Spain) 6-0, 7-6 (7-2); Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) bt 5-Arnaud Clement (France) 6-2, 6-4; Hyung-Taik Lee (South Korea) bt 7-Carlos Moya (Spain) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4); Max Mirnyi (Belarus) bt Wayne Arthurs (Australia) 7-5, 7-6 (7-4).

Women’s: 8-Meghann Shaughnessy (US) bt Alicia Molik (Australia) 6-4, 6-4; Lisa Raymond (US) bt Magui Serna (Spain) 6-1, 6-1; Conchita Martinez (Spain) bt Elena Dementieva (Russia) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1; Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) bt Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) bt Anastasia Myskina (Russia) 6-3, 6-2; Anna Kournikova (Russia) bt Angeles Montolio (Spain) 6-4, 6-2; Alexandra Stevenson (US) bt Iroda Tulyaganova (Uzbekistan) 6-1, 6-7 (0-7), 7-5; Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) bt Jaslyn Hewitt (Australia) 6-0, 6-1.

Nielsen scores upset: Unheralded New Zealander Mark Nielsen justified his wild card for the Auckland Open men’s tournament Monday when he beat seventh seed Swede Andreas Vinciguerra 7-6 6-4 in the opening match.

Nielsen, ranked 457th in the world, was only included with the organisers’ final wild card, but was rarely in trouble against the 34th-ranked Vinciguerra.

During the match he received a code violation warning after hitting a ball in anger into the trees behind a stand at the complex.

Auckland Open results

Jerome Golmard (France) beat Daniel Willman (New Zealand) 6-4 6-1; Mark Nielsen (New Zealand) beat 7-Andreas Vinciguerra (Sweden) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4; Fernando Vicente (Spain) beat Franco Squillari (Argentina) 6-3 6-2

Canberra Classic first round results

Petra Mandula (Hungary) beat 2-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-1 7-6 (7-3); 5-Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) beat Selima Sfar (Tunisia) 6-3 6-2; 6-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat Rossana Neffa-De Los Rios 6-4 6-4; Rachel McQuillan (Australia) beat 8-Iva Majoli (Croatia) 6-4 6-2 ;Amanda Grahame (Australia) beat Barbara Rittner (Germany) 7-5 2-0 (retired); Jill Craybas (U.S.) beat Jana Nejedly (Canada) 2-6 6-3 7-5; Emilie Loit (France) beat Patricia Wartusch (Austria) 5-7 6-4 6-2.—Reuters