21 January 2004	Wednesday	28 Ziqa'ad 1424

MELBOURNE, Jan 20: Venus Williams made a triumphant return to tennis at the Australian Open on Tuesday but the maelstrom of misery which has engulfed Britain's Greg Rusedski continued.

Third seed Williams was all smiles at Melbourne Park. She had not played a tournament since losing the final of Wimbledon to sister Serena in July but the former world number one looked as sharp as ever, thumping fellow American Ashley Harkleroad 6-2 6-1 in the first round.

British number two Rusedski had hoped to let his tennis do the talking after his positive test for the banned steroid nandrolone hogged all the headlines in the past two weeks.

But a lacklustre performance against 26th seed Albert Costa saw him eliminated 6-4 6-3 6-4 in the first round. Rusedski, who admitted earlier this month that he had tested positive for nandrolone at a tournament in Indianapolis last July, says he will be cleared of any wrongdoing at a hearing in February.

Wimbledon champion Roger Federer put his shaky early season form behind him with a tidy performance against up-and-coming American Alex Bogomolov.

Results:

Men's singles (first round)

Todd Reid (AUS) bt Vadim Kutsenko (UZB) 6-3, 6-2, 6-3; Jeff Morrison (USA) bt Dennis Van Scheppingen (NED) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4;Jiri Novak (CZE) bt Olivier Rochus (BEL) 6-3, 6-3, 7-5; Albert Costa (SPA) bt Greg Rusedski (GBR) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; Thierry Ascione (FRA) bt Felix Mantilla (SPA) 7-5, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3); Joachim Johansson (SWE) bt Alexander Popp (GER) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4; Hicham Arazi (MOR) bt Olivier Mutis (FRA) 7-5, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3; Jan Vacek (CZE) bt Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (SPA) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Roger Federer (SWI) bt Alex Bogomolov Jr. (USA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-0;Alberto Martin (SPA) bt Feliciano Lopez (SPA) 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-2; Sargis Sargsian (ARM) bt Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) 6-2, 6-3, 6-1; Rafael Nadal (SPA) bt Michal Tabara (CZE) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; Filippo Volandri (ITA) bt Nicolas Kiefer (GER) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Cyril Saulnier (FRA) bt Guillermo Coria (ARG) 7-6 (9/7), 6-2, 6-4;David Nalbandian (ARG) bt Ricardo Mello (BRA) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4;Mario Ancic (CRO) bt Raemon Sluiter (NED) 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3; Florian Mayer (GER) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA) 7-5, 6-4, 6-3; Wayne Arthurs (AUS) bt Roko Karanusic (CRO) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-7 (5/7), 6-2; Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) bt Cecil Mamiit (USA) 6-2, 6-4, 0-1 retired;Karol Kucera (SVK) bt Xavier Malisse (BEL) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4; Wayne Ferreira (RSA) bt Victor Hanescu (ROM) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1; Guillermo Canas (ARG) bt Sebastien De Chaunac (FRA) 6-2, 6-2, 6-4; Fabrice Santoro (FRA) bt Peter Luczak (AUS) 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1; Alex Corretja (SPA) bt Martin Verkerk (NED) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4; Glenn Weiner (USA) bt Jeff Salzenstein (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Andrei Pavel (ROM) bt Max Mirnyi (BLR) 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2); Agustin Calleri (ARG) bt Christophe Rochus (BEL) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; David Sanchez (SPA) bt Wesley Moodie (RSA) 6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Juan Carlos Ferrero (SPA) bt Albert Montanes (SPA) 6-0, 6-1, 6-1; Radek Stepanek (CZE) bt Davide Sanguinetti (ITA) 6-7 (3/7), 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3; Tim Henman (GBR x11) bt Jean-Rene Lisnard (FRA) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2; Mark Philippoussis (AUS) bt Thomas Johansson (SWE) 7-6 (8/6), 6-2, 7-6 (7/4)

Women's singles (first round):

Paola Suarez (ARG) bt Gisela Dulko (ARG) 6-2, 6-2;Marion Bartoli (FRA) bt Alexandra Stevenson (USA) 6-3, 6-1; Lina Krasnoroutskaya (RUS) bt Karolina Sprem (CRO) 6-3, 6-4; Anastasia Myskina (RUS) bt Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 6-2, 7-5; Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) bt Dally Randriantefy (MAD) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1; Anca Barna (GER) bt Maureen Drake (CAN) 2-6, 6-0, 7-5; Ai Sugiyama (JPN) bt Tatiana Panova (RUS) 6-4, 6-2;Dinara Safina (RUS) bt Lubomira Kurhajcova (SVK) 6-3, 7-6 (7/1); Patty Schnyder (SWI) bt Angelique Widjaja (INA) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3; Amanda Coetzer (RSA) bt Tara Snyder (USA) 6-3, 6-1; Francesca Schiavone (ITA) bt Cristina Torrens Valero (SPA) 7-5, 6-1; Venus Williams (USA) bt Ashley Harkleroad (USA) 6-2, 6-1;Barbora Strycova (CZE) bt Arantxa Parra (SPA) 7-5, 6-1; Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi (ISR) bt Klara Koukalova (CZE) 6-3, 6-3; Tatiana Golovin (FRA) bt Marie-Gayane Mikaelian (SWI) 6-0, 4-1 retired; Emmanuelle Gagliardi (SWI) bt Libuse Prusova (CZE) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5; Vera Douchevina (RUS) bt Zheng Jie (CHN) 6-2, 4-6, 6-0; Denisa Chladkova (CZE) bt Stephanie Foretz (FRA) 6-4, 6-2; Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) bt Milagros Sequera (VEN) 6-2, 6-2;Chanda Rubin (USA) bt Asa Svensson (SWE) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3;Maria Sharapova (RUS) bt Conchita Martinez Granados (SPA) 6-4, 6-3; Saori Obata (JPN) bt Myriam Casanova (SWI) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; Tzipora Obziler (ISR) bt Martina Sucha (SVK) 6-3, 6-2;Lindsay Lee-Waters (USA) bt Sophie Ferguson (AUS) 6-3, 6-1;Lisa Raymond (USA) bt Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (SPA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4; Silvia Farina Elia (ITA) bt Henrieta Nagyova (SVK) 6-3, 6-3; Kristina Brandi (PUR) bt Conchita Martinez (SPA) 7-6 (9/7), 6-1;Nathalie Dechy (FRA) bt Jelena Kostanic (CRO) 7-5, 6-4;Julia Vakulenko (UKR) bt Eva Birnerova (CZE) 6-4, 6-3 Virginia Ruano Pascual (SPA) bt Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) 6-4, 6-3 Amy Frazier (USA) bt Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 Kim Clijsters (BEL) bt Marlene Weingartner (GER) 6-3, 6-2.-AFP