20 January 2004	Tuesday	27 Ziqa'ad 1424

MELBOURNE, Jan 19: The Australian Open's top seeds led from the front on Monday, Andy Roddick and Justine Henin-Hardenne both posting impressive first-round victories at the season's first grand slam.

The world number ones faced very different challenges at a sunny Melbourne Park but the outcome was the same. While Henin-Hardenne destroyed 15-year-old Australian wildcard Olivia Lukaszewicz 6-0 6-0 at barely a canter, Roddick heaved aside burly Chilean Fernando Gonzalez 6-2 7-5 7-6.

The comprehensive manner of the American world number one's victory against a player regarded as one of the most dangerous non-seeds in the Open's 128-man draw serves as notice that he is peaking at the right time.

A more powerful Henin-Hardenne did not face such stern opposition against her overawed opponent and barely put a foot wrong during the 46-minute match. Champion Andre Agassi looked as sharp as ever under the lights, dismissing Australia's Todd Larkham 6-1 6-3 6-4 as he seeks a fifth Australian Open crown.

Less happy on Monday was Agassi's victim in that 2003 final, Rainer Schuettler. The German was left despondent after a loss to Sweden's Robin Soderling.

Seeded sixth this year, Schuettler let slip a two-set lead before exiting 4-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4. Another former finalist left the tournament on day one but Carlos Moya had not even had a chance to hit a ball.

The Spaniard, runner-up in 1997, pulled out of his first-round match with James Blake with an ankle injury. Schuettler and Moya were joined at the exit by Russian seeds Elena Dementieva and Nadia Petrova, who were also both early casualties in Melbourne.

Seventh seed Dementieva slumped to Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Montenegro 6-1 6-4 while 10th seed Petrova lost to Hungarian Aniko Kapros 6-3 6-3. A dejected Dementieva, who also lost in the first round last year said: "Maybe I should not play the Australian Open next season because I never play well here.

Vera Zvonareva and Svetlana Kuznetsova fared better in a mixed start for the Russians. Eleventh seed Zvonareva pounded Czech Zuzana Ondraskova 6-3 6-1 and 30th seed Kuznetsova breezed past American Shenay Perry 6-3 6-3.

Fourth seed Amelie Mauresmo swept past Taiwanese Chuang Chia-Jung for the loss of just one game and fifth seed Lindsay Davenport wiped Ruxandra Dragomir 6-2 6-3.

Results:

Men's singles (first round): 4-Andre Agassi (U.S.) beat Todd Larkham (Australia) 6-1 6-3 6-4; Marat Safin (Russia) beat Brian Vahaly (U.S.) 6-2 3-6 6-3 6-4; Bohdan Ulihrach (Czech Republic) beat Lars Burgsmuller (Germany) 6-4 3-6 6-2 6-1; David Ferrer (Spain) beat Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 6-3; Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat 12-Nicolas Massu (Chile) 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-3; Todd Martin (U.S.) beat Anthony Dupuis (France) 4-6 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3; Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) beat 21-Mardy Fish 7-6 (7-0) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4); James Blake (U.S.) beat Ivan Miranda (Peru) 6-1 6-4 6-4; Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Nicolas Mahut (France) 6-4 6-2 5-7 6-3; Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) beat Flavio Saretta (Brazil) 6-3 6-3 6-3; 1-Andy Roddick (U.S.) beat Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) 6-2 7-5 7-6; Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) beat 20-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-3 6-2 7-6 (8-6); 19-Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) beat John van Lottum (Netherlands) 5-7 6-0 6-1 2-6 8-6; Galo Blanco (Spain) beat 18-Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) 4-1 retired; Juergen Melzer (Austria) beat Tomas Behrend (Germany) 6-1 6-2 6-2; 9-Sebastien Grosjean (France) beat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-1 6-4 7-5; Jan-Michael Gambill (U.S.) beat Gregory Carraz (France) 6-2 6-3 retired; Nicolas Escude (France) beat Lee Hyung-taik (South Korea) 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-2; Robin Soderling (Sweden) beat 6-Rainer Schuettler (Germany) 4-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4; 16-Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) beat Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) 7-5 6-3 6-1; Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) beat Irakli Labadze (Georgia) 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-3; Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat 30-Arnaud Clement (France) 6-7 (6-8) 4-6 6-4 6-1 6-2; Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) beat 29-Vincent Spadea (U.S.) 4-6 6-4 6-4 7-6 (8-6); Olivier Patience (France) beat Igor Andreev (Russia) 4-6 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 6-2; Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) beat Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 5-7 6-2; 13-Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) beat Jose Acasuso (Argentina) 7-5 6-4 6-0; 27-Taylor Dent (U.S.) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 6-2 6-1 2-1 retired; 32-Robby Ginepri (U.S.) beat Luis Horna (Peru) 7-5 6-3 6-3; Karol Beck (Slovakia) beat Stefan Koubek (Austria) 6-4 6-0 2-6 6-4; Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) beat Oscar Hernandez (Spain) 6-1 6-3 6-1; Chris Guccione (Australia) beat Alun Jones (Australia) 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 6-2; Jerome Golmard (France) beat Albert Portas (Spain) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 6-1

Women's singles (first round): Nicole Pratt (Australia) beat 17-Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) 6-4 5-7 6-4; 19-Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) beat Jennifer Hopkins (U.S.) 6-1 6-3; Cara Black (Zimbabwe) beat Els Callens (Belgium) 2-6 6-3 6-3; Akiko Morigami (Japan) beat Marie-Eve Pelletier (Canada) 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 6-4; Evie Dominikovic (Australia) beat Trudi Musgrave (Australia) 4-6 7-5 6-3; Emilie Loit (France) beat Marta Marrero (Spain) 7-5 6-4 5-Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) beat Ruxandra Dragomir Ilie (Romania) 6-2 6-3; 4-Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Chuang Chia-Jung (China) 6-1 6-0; Ludmila Cervanova (Slovakia) beat Casey Dellacqua (Australia) 6-4 6-4; Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) beat Ansley Cargill (U.S.) 6-3 6-4; Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) beat 26-Tina Pisnik 7-5 6-0; 15-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Adriana Serra Zanetti (Italy) &-6 (7-5) 6-4; 32-Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) beat Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) 6-3 6-2; 24-Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) beat Samantha Reeves (U.S.) 6-1 6-0; Barbara Schett (Austria) beat Clarisa Fernandez (Argentina) 4-6 6-3 6-4; Antonella Serra Zanetti (Italy) beat Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 7-5 6-4; Mariana Diaz-Oliva (Argentina) beat Alina Jidkova (Russia) 6-2 7-6 (7-5); Mara Santangelo (Italy) beat 16-Magui Serna (Spain) 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 6-4; 1-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) beat Olivia Lukaszewicz (Australia) 6-0 6-0; Alicia Molik (Australia) beat Angelika Bachmann (Germany) 6-1 6-4; Camille Pin (France) beat Tathiana Garbin (Italy) 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-4; Jill Craybas (U.S.) beat Rita Grande (Italy) 6-2 6-1; Claudine Schaul (Luxembourg) beat Tatiana Perebiynis (Ukraine) 6-0 6-0; 21-Elena Bovina (Russia) beat Sandra Kleinova (Czech Republic) 4-6 6-1 7-5; Petra Mandula (Hungary) beat Gala Leon Garcia (Spain) 6-4 4-6 6-4; Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Silvija Talaja (Croatia) 6-3 6-2; Jelena Jankovic (Serbia and Montenegro) beat 7-Elena Dementieva (Russia) 6-1 6-4; Laura Granville (U.S.) beat 31-Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) 6-1 6-3; Aniko Kapros (Hungary) beat 10-Nadia Petrova (Russia) 6-3 6-3; Melinda Czink (Hungary) beat Maria Vento-Kabchi (Venezuela) 6-4 6-3; 30-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Shenay Perry (U.S.) 6-3 6-3; 11-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) beat Zuzana Ondraskova (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-1-Reuters