January 18, 2006	Wednesday	Zilhaj 17, 1426

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

MELBOURNE, Jan 17: Martina Hingis marked her return to Grand Slam action with a thumping victory and Swiss compatriot Roger Federer was almost as impressive at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

Hingis beat Russia’s 30th seed Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 6-2 in the first round. The former world number one showed no sign of nerves in her first Grand Slam match since 2002, wrapping up a surprisingly one-sided victory that left her opponent in tears.

The 25-year-old Hingis won the Australian Open in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Federer, a strong favourite for the men’s title, also made the perfect start to his campaign when he won in brilliant fashion and his main rivals all struggled.

The world number one hardly broke sweat as he brushed aside little-known Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 while Australian Lleyton Hewitt, Argentine Guillermo Coria and Russian Nikolay Davydenko were all pushed to five sets.

Last year’s losing finalist Hewitt needed all his fighting spirit to scrape past Czech Robin Vik 6-4, 2-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 while sixth seed Coria overcame the distraction of a leg injury to wear down Romanian Victor Hanescu 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Fifth seed Davydenko also needed the maximum number of sets to blunt the massive serve of Croat Ivo Karlovic, eventually grinding out a 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory.

The leading women had few problems following Venus Williams’s shock defeat on the Monday, although third seed Amelie Mauresmo had to come from a set down to beat China’s Sun Tiantian 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Fifth seed Mary Pierce brushed past Australian Nicole Pratt 6-1, 6-1 and second-seeded Belgian Kim Clijsters crushed Korea’s Cho Yoon-Jeong 6-3, 6-0 despite needing painkillers just to get on court after injuring her hip in Sydney last week.

Six seeds lost on Tuesday, taking the total of first round casualties to 14. Three of the seeds were French: Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils and Nathalie Dechy, a semifinalist last year.

Chilean ninth seed Fernando Gonzalez lost in five sets while Italian Filippo Volandri retired after losing the first two sets against Nathan Healey, prompting the Australian wildcard to cheekily question his commitment.

Istomin, ranked 195th in the world, blasted two aces past Federer in his opening service game but the world number one dominated the rest of the match to comfortably close out victory in 83 minutes.

Hewitt was at his combative best as 58th-ranked Vik wilted under the pressure when serving for the match in the fourth set, allowing the third seed to square the match before running away with the final set.

Hewitt’s win sets up an intriguing encounter with the equally feisty Juan Ignacio Chela, one of the strong Argentine men’s contingent.

Chela, who cruised to a straight sets win over Briton Andy Murray, was fined after spitting in Hewitt’s direction during a fiery third round match in Melbourne last year and there are no signs the pair are ready to kiss and make up.

Tuesday’s results:

Men’s singles:

First round: 25-Sebastien Grosjean (France) bt Mark Philippoussis (Australia) 6-4, 6-2, 6-3; 15-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) bt Tomas Zib (Czech Republic) 7-5, 6-0, 6-2; Alex Bogomolov Jr (US) bt 9-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-7 (3-6), 7-5; 28-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) bt Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4; Raemon Sluiter (Netherlands) bt Pavel Snobel (Czech Republic) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) bt Arnaud Clement (France) 6-3, 7-6 (6-4), 6-3; 30-Max Mirnyi (Belarus) bt Thierry Ascione (France) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (4-6), 6-0; Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia and Montenegro) bt Andreas Seppi (Italy) 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; Amer Delic (US) bt Potito Starace (Italy) 7-5, 6-7 (3-6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Davide Sanguinetti (Italy) bt Jacob Adaktusson (Sweden) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-2; 21-Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1, 6-2; 3-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) bt Robin Vik (Czech Republic) 6-4, 2-6, 5-7, 7-6 (6-4), 6-3; Florian Mayer (Germany) bt Hyung-Taik Lee (South Korea) 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4; Juan Monaco (Argentina) bt Jean-Rene Lisnard (France) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3; Boris Pasanski (Serbia and Montenegro) bt Wayne Arthurs (Australia) 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6-2); Kristof Vliegen (Belgium) bt Christophe Rochus (Belgium) 6-3, 6-1, 6-4; 5-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) bt Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3; Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) bt Andy Murray (Britain) 6-1, 6-3, 6-3; 23-Igor Andreev (Russia) bt Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 7-5, 6-4, 6-3; Kevin Kim (US) bt Harel Levy (Israel) 6-4, 6-4, 6-0; Dick Norman (Belgium) bt Zack Fleishman (US) 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), 5-7, 0-6, 6-3; 6-Guillermo Coria (Argentina) bt Victor Hanescu (Romania) 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; Bjoern Phau (Germany) bt Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 6-4, 7-6 (3-6), 2-6, 7-6 (6-4); 12-Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) bt Oliver Marach (Austria) 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3; Tommy Haas (Germany) bt 14-Richard Gasquet (France) 6-2, 7-5, 6-2; Nathan Healey (Australia) bt 29-Filippo Volandri (Italy) 6-2, 6-3 — Volandri retired; Paul Goldstein (US) bt Novak Djokovic (Serbia and Montenegro) 6-2, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2; Peter Luczak (Australia) bt Ivo Minar (Czech Republic) 7-6 (6-4), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Federico Luzzi (Italy) bt Juan Antonio Marin (Costa Rica) 6-1, 6-4, 7-5; Luis Horna (Peru) bt 22-Gael Monfils (France) 6-4, 7-5, 6-1; 24-Olivier Rochus (Belgium) bt Michael Llodra (France) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2; 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.

Women’s singles:

First round: Martina Hingis (Switzerland) bt 30-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 6-1, 6-2; Sybille Bammer (Austria) bt Eva Birnerova (Czech Republic) 7-5, 6-4; Meng Yuan (China) bt Melinda Czink (Hungary) 6-4, 6-2 Zi Yan (China) bt 11-Nathalie Dechy (France) 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-3; Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) bt Jie Zheng (China) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4; Emma Laine (Finland) bt Nuria Llagostera (Spain) 6-1, 6-1; 16-Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) bt Anastasiya Yakimova (Belarus) 6-1, 6-3; Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) bt Maria Vento-Kabchi (Venezuela) 6-1, 6-2; 19-Dinara Safina (Russia) bt Tathiana Garbin (Italy) 6-0 6-1; 32-Sania Mirza (India) bt Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 7-6 (8-6) 6-2; 2-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) bt Yoon Jeong Cho (South Korea) 6-3, 6-0; Roberta Vinci (Italy) bt Meghann Shaughnessy (US) 7-5, 6-4; Catalina Castano (Colombia) bt Vera Dushevina (Russia) 5-7 6-3 6-1; Martina Sucha (Slovakia) bt Anna Smashnova (Israel) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; 27-Marion Bartoli (France) bt Amy Frazier (US) 6-3, 6-2; Samantha Stosur (Australia) bt Severine Bremond (France) 6-3, 6-4; Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) bt Kristina Brandi (Puerto Rico) 6-4, 7-6 (6-1) 15-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt Antonella Serra Zanetti (Italy) 6-2, 7-5; Emilie Loit (France) bt Viktoriya Kutuzova (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-0; Aiko Nakamura (Japan) bt Alize Cornet (France) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2; 22-Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) bt Laura Pous (Spain) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5; 20-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) bt Cara Black (Zimbabwe) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) bt Rika Fujiwara (Japan) 2-6, 6-1, 7-5; 21-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia and Montenegro) bt Shenay Perry (US) 6-4, 6-4; 3-Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt Tiantian Sun (China) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (Spain) bt Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-3; 31-Gisela Dulko (Argentina) bt Maret Ani (Estonia) 6-0, 7-6 (9-7); Jamea Jackson (US) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) bt Shahar Peer (Israel) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; 12-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) bt Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) 7-6 (8-6), 6-1; 7-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) bt Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 6-4, 6-3; 5-Mary Pierce (France) bt Nicole Pratt (Australia) 6-1, 6-1.—Reuters