12 May 2004	Wednesday	21 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

HAMBURG, May 11: Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt saved a set point on Tuesday as he advanced into the second round of the 2.495-m euro Hamburg Masters Series with a 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) win over Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman.

The 17th-seeded Hewitt faced the set point serving at 6-5 down in the second set. But Bjorkman hit a forehand wide and then fell in the tiebreak after 1 hour 28 minutes despite a 4-2 lead there.

Fifth-seeded Briton Tim Henman struggled with the heavy conditions on a cool and wet outside court before beating Italian qualifier Andreas Seppi 7-5, 1-6, 6-3. Henman fought from 5-3 down in the first set with four straight games. In the third, he wasted two match points at 5-2, but then served out the match in the ninth game, clinching victory with a service winner.

But tournament number 4 Rainer Schuettler crashed out 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 against friendly German rival Lars Burgsmueller. There was also no luck for the two Dutch seeds.

Number 12 Martin Verkerk, last year's French Open finalist, crashed 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) against Croatian Ivan Ljubicic. The number 14 seed Sjeng Schalken retired with a hamstring injury trailing 5-1 against Spanish lucky loser Oscar Hernandez.

Number nine seed Nicolas Massu of Chile lost as well, going down 6-3, 6-0 against Austrian Juergen Melzer. But the 13th seed Fernando Gonzalez won a Spanish duel with Feliciano Lopez, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

First Round:

Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) bt Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) 6-0, 7-6 (7/5); Lars Burgmuller (GER) bt Rainer Schuttler (GER) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4; Tim Henman (GBR) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3; Andrei Pavel (ROM) bt Cyril Saulnier (FRA) 6-2, 7-5; Juergen Melzer (AUT) bt Nicolas Massu (CH) 6-3, 6-0; Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) bt Feliciano Lopez (SPA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4; Albert Costa (SPA) bt Xavier Malisse (BEL) 6-3, 6-4; Oscar Hernandez (SPA) bt Sjeng Schalken (NED) 5-1 retired; Mariano Zabaleta (ARG) bt Robin Soederling (SWE) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4;Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) bt Martin Verkerk (NED) 7-5, 7-6 (7/4).

Serena advances

ROME: Top seed Serena Williams performed way below her best but still had too much quality for unseeded Spaniard Maria Sanchez-Lorenzo in their second round match at the clay court Rome Masters on Tuesday.

Williams, a six-time Grand Slam winner, won 7-5, 6-3 at the Foro Italico to claim a place in the last 16 where she will meet either Russian Vera Douchevina or Dally Randriantefy of Madagascar.

Playing in only her fourth tournament since taking eight months off after knee surgery and given a bye into the second round, Williams looked rusty but was happy with her level of fitness.

Williams, a winner in Rome two years ago, began slugglishly and Sanchez-Lorenzo made the most of her opponent's slow start, breaking in the opening game and then holding serve for a 2-0 advantage.

Results (first round): Karolina Sprem (Croatia) bt Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-2 6-2; Mary Pierce (France) bt Gisela Dulko (Argentina) 6-1 6-4; Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi (Israel) bt Magui Serna (Spain) 6-2 6-1; Paola Suarez (Argentina) bt Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) 5-7 6-1 - retired; Conchita Martinez (Spain) bt Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) 6-1 6-1; Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) bt Anca Barna (Germany) 6-4 6-1; Maria Vento-Kabchi (Venezuala) bt Klara Koukalova (Czech Republic) 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-4; Maria Elena Camerin (Italy) bt Jelena Dokic (Serbia and Montenegro) 7-5 7-5

Second round: Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Maria Sanchez-Lorenzo (Spain) 7-5 6-3; Maria Sharapova (Russia) bt Elena Dementieva (Russia) 6-1 6-4. -Agencies