MADRID, Oct 14: Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman came from a set and a break down to beat Marat Safin 4-6 7-5 6-4 on Tuesday and dash the Russian’s hopes of a first ATP Tour win since April.

Safin, enduring a tough route back from a series of injuries, clinched the first set in 41 minutes and moved confidently into a 2-0 lead in the second.

Safin became upset at a series of foot-fault calls, though, and Bjorkman capitalised on his opponent’s loss of service rhythm to come back and level, a crosscourt forehand that clipped the net clinching a marathon second set in 68 minutes.

Bjorkman was a model of consistency in the decider and snatched victory in game 10, as Safin, serving at 4-5 down, put a forehand drive long on match-point.

The Swede was joined in the second round by America’s Mardy Fish, who outpunched Tim Henman in a 7-6 6-3 victory over the Briton.

Henman could find none of the form that marked his run to the semifinals in Vienna last week and slipped to defeat in one hour 41 minutes against the fast improving 21-year-old.

Fish missed the chance to serve out for the first set but came back to clinch it 7-4 on the tiebreak.

Henman was broken in game four of the second set to fall 3-1 behind and Fish, all but untouchable on his first serve, held on to complete a commanding win, with the British number one firing a backhand long on match-point.

There were mixed fortunes for the other two Americans in first-round action at the indoor tournament on Tuesday.

Jan-Michael Gambill blasted past Nikolay Davydenko 6-3 6-3 but James Blake suffered defeat by Max Mirnyi, the Belarus player going through 7-5 6-2.

Mikhail Youzhny completed a miserable day for Russia with a 1-6 6-4 6-4 defeat by Spain’s David Ferrer.

Earlier on Monday Spain’s Alex Corretja withstood a fierce battering from his 17-year-old countryman Rafael Nadal to win a generational battle 6-2 3-6 6-4 in the first round.

The 29-year-old Corretja, who beat Nadal in Barcelona on clay earlier in the season, looked to be heading for another straightforward victory as he moved a set and 1-0 up with a break.

Tuesday’s results (first round):

Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) bt Marat Safin (Russia) 4-6 7-5 6-4 Jan-Michael Gambill (U.S.) bt Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 6-3 6-3; David Ferrer (Spain) bt Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 1-6 6-4; 6-4; Max Mirnyi (Belarus) bt James Blake (U.S.) 7-5 6-2; Mardy Fish (U.S.) bt Tim Henman (Britain) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3

Monday’s results: Feliciano Lopez (Spain) bt Mariano Zabaleta (Argentina) 6-2 3-6 6-3; Alex Corretja (Spain) bt Rafael Nadal (Spain) 6-2 3-6 6-4; Robby Ginepri (U.S.) bt Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 6-3 6-3; Nicolas Massu (Chile) bt Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4; Vincent Spadea (U.S.) bt Christophe Rochus (Belgium) 6-4 7-5; Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) bt Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 3-6 7-5 6-2; Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) bt Alberto Martin (Spain) 6-4 1-6 6-1; Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) bt Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-5).—Reuters