18 January 2005	Tuesday	07 Zilhaj 1425

MELBOURNE, Jan 17: World number one Roger Federer and women's favourite Serena Williams led the way into the Australian Open second round on Monday as Spanish star Carlos Moya tumbled out in a shock defeat.

Federer - the overwhelming men's favourite and defending champion - sailed into the second round after ruthlessly demolishing France's Fabrice Santoro 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 at a sun-baked Melbourne Park.

Santoro, who often shook his head in appreciation as Federer passed him with a flow of winners, said the Swiss star was head and shoulders above his rivals. Federer is now on course to meet American veteran Andre Agassi in the quarterfinals, who shrugged off fears over an injured hip to easily dispatch German qualifier Dieter Kindlmann 6-4, 6-3, 6-0.

But there was a shock defeat for fifth seed Moya, who became the highest profile casualty on day one when he lost in four sets to unheralded compatriot and hitting partner Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, ranked 106th in the world.

It was the biggest win of 21-year-old Garcia-Lopez's career, with his only previous grand slam being a second round appearance at last year's French Open. In the late game, last year's beaten finalist Marat Safin, seeded four, was a comfortable 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 winner over Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

In the women's draw, 2003 champion Serena Williams needed less than an hour to brush aside Frenchwoman Camille Pin 6-1, 6-1 as news of a doping mystery involving Russia's US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova emerged.

Kuznetsova powered into the second round in 43 minutes with a 6-1, 6-1 win over American qualifier Jessica Kirkland. But the 19-year-old fifth seed's win was lost in a doping cloud following reports of a positive test involving one of three players who appeared at a four-way exhibition event at Belgium last December.

The WTA women's tour angrily dismissed the reports as "unsubstantiated rumours" and Kuznetsova, one of the three players implicated, said she was mystified by the claim.

"I don't know anything about it. Nobody has contacted me about it," said Kuznetsova. "All I know is that somebody wrote something in a newspaper. But that's it, nothing else. I would wonder how it could have happened."

While Kuznetsova was fielding questions about doping, Williams created one of the day's talking points with her striking outfit - lime-green and white knee-high boots.

"I was a little nervous going into it, but after the first game I was okay. I thought if I just get the first game then I'll be alright," she added. Elsewhere, Russia's teenage Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova was made to work before registering a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Bulgaria's Sesil Karatantcheva.

Although she was never in danger of losing, fourth seed Sharapova was tested by a 15-year old opponent who stretched her to three sets in the Bulgarians debut tournament at Indian Wells last March.

"You know, I just played a good, solid first-round match," Sharapova said. "Like Ive said before, I cannot win everything. Im still developing my game. Its not that I won a Grand Slam and all of a sudden Im going to win everything ... My game is still a work in progress."

Later, Mauresmo overcame a spirited display from local hope Samantha Stosur before winning 6-2, 6-3 in 1hr 8min. A runner-up here in 1999, Mauresmo now faces Russia's Dinara Safina in the second round and was happy with her form as she sets out once again for a first-ever grand slam title.

"I really felt my game right from the beginning was consistent, and I didn't let her really get into her rhythm and finish the points pretty quickly, as she loves to do," Mauresmo said. Collated results from day one of the Championships.

WOMEN'S SINGLES:

FIRST ROUND: Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x5) bt Jessica Kirkland (USA) 6-1, 6-1, Serena Williams (USA x7) bt Camille Pin (FRA) 6-1, 6-1, Evgenia Linetskaya (RUS) bt Lubomira Kurhajcova (SVK) 6-4, 6-1, Fabiola Zuluaga (COL x17) bt Selima Sfar (TUN) 6-3, 7-5, Sania Mirza (IND) bt Cindy Watson (AUS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0, Martina Sucha (SVK) bt Ai Sugiyama (JPN x16) 7-5, 6-4, Alina Jidkova (RUS) bt Virginia Ruano Pascual (SPA) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, Elena Baltacha (GBR) bt Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, Marion Bartoli (FRA) bt Claudine Schaul (LUX) 6-1, 6-3, Silvia Farina Elia (ITA x15) bt Julia Schruff (GER) 6-3, 6-4, Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) bt Severine Beltrame (FRA) 6-1, 6-3, Petra Mandula (HUN) bt Flavia Pennetta (ITA x30) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, Shinobu Asagoe (JPN x28) bt Anca Barna (GER) 6-4, 6-2, Dally Randriantefy (MAD) bt Zuzana Ondraskova (CZE) 6-1, 6-1, Sophie Ferguson (AUS) bt Nuria Llagostera Vives (SPA) 2-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, Magdalena Maleeva (BUL x22) bt Magui Serna (SPA) 6-1, 6-1, Stepanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) bt Mary Pierce (FRA x24) 6-2, 6-2, Li Na (CHN) bt Laura Granville (USA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, Marta Domachowska (POL) bt Li Ting (CHN) 6-1, 3-6, 6-0, Vera Zvonareva (RUS x9) bt Liu Nannan (CHN) 6-4, 6-2, Nadia Petrova (RUS x11) bt Virginie Razzano (FRA) 6-1, 6-2, Gisela Dulko (ARG x29) bt Kristina Brandi (PUR) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, Denisa Chladkova (CZE) bt Silvija Talaja (CRO) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, Vera Douchevina (RUS) bt Jill Craybas (USA) 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, Maria Sharapova (RUS x4) bt Sesil Karatancheva (BUL) 6-3, 6-1, Amy Frazier (USA x21) bt Marissa Irvin (USA) 7-5, 6-1, Ana Ivanovic (SEM) bt Iveta Benesova (CZE x32) 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, Dinara Safina (RUS) bt Zheng Jie (CHN) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, Mariana Diaz-Oliva (ARG) bt Saori Obata (JPN) 6-3, 6-4, Lindsay Lee-Waters (USA) bt Zsofia Gubacsi (HUN) 6-3, 7-5, Amelie Mauresmo (FRA x2) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 6-2, 6-3, Maria Kirilenko (RUS) bt Aniko Kapros (HUN) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.

MEN'S SINGLES

FIRST ROUND: Dominik Hrbaty (SVK x20) bt Robin Soderling (SWE) 6-4, 6-2, 1-0 (ret), Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x22) bt Luis Horna (PER) 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, Mario Ancic (CRO x28) bt Oscar Hernandez (SPA) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1, Tomas Zib (CZE) bt Wang Yeu-Tzuoo (TPE) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-4, Bjorn Phau (GER) bt Albert Costa (SPA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, Roger Federer (SWI x1) bt Fabrice Santoro (FRA) 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Federico Luzzi (ITA) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, Thomas Johansson (SWE x30) bt Peter Luczak (AUS) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, Peter Wessels (NED) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, Tommy Robredo (SPA x13) bt Scott Draper (AUS) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2, Agustin Calleri (ARG) bt Max Mirnyi (BLR) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, Gaston Gaudio (ARG x10) bt Justin Gimelstob (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-3, Takao Suzuki (JPN) bt Jan-Michael Gambill (USA) 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, Andre Agassi (USA x8) bt Dieter Kindlmann (GER) 6-4, 6-3, 6-0, Taylor Dent (USA x29) bt Florent Serra (FRA) 7-5, 6-2, 6-4, Gael Monfils (FRA) bt Robby Ginepri (USA) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6), Bohdan Ulihrach (CZE) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 7-5, 6-2, Janko Tipsarevic (SEM) bt Daniele Bracciali (ITA) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-1, Michal Tabara (CZE) bt Thomas Enqvist (SWE) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (SPA) bt Carlos Moya (SPA x5) 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, Kevin Kim (USA) bt Lee Hyung-Taik (KOR) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, Joachim Johansson (SWE x11) bt Sjeng Schalken (NED) 7-6 (8/6), 6-2, 6-3, Rainer Schuettler (GER) bt Olivier Patience (FRA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-2, Paradorn Srichaphan (THA x27) bt Potito Starace (ITA) 1-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4, Karol Beck (SVK) bt Todd Reid (AUS) 6-2, 6-2, 6-1, Sargis Sargsian (ARM) bt David Sanchez (SPA) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) bt Davide Sanguinetti (ITA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, Mardy Fish (USA) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 2-6, 6-0, 6-4, 4-6, 9-7, Feliciano Lopez (SPA x24) bt Paul Baccanello (AUS) 7-5, 7-5, 6-2, Tommy Haas (GER x16) bt Xavier Malisse (BEL) 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, Olivier Rochus (BEL) bt Nicolas Kiefer (GER x21) 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, Marat Safin (RUS x4) bt Novak Djokovic (SEM) 6-0, 6-2, 6-1. -AFP