January 17, 2007	Wednesday	Zilhaj 26, 1427

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MELBOURNE, Jan 16: A dazed and confused Maria Sharapova survived a melting at the Australian Open on Tuesday when players struggled to last the distance in sweltering conditions.

An under-prepared Lleyton Hewitt needed the backing of the home crowd to also reach the second round after a five-set thriller went well into the early hours.

Russia's Sharapova squeezed past France's Camille Pin 6-3, 4-6, 9-7 after coming within two points of becoming the first women's top seed to go out in the opening round in Melbourne since Romania's Virginia Ruzici in 1979.

With the on-court temperature exceeding 50 degrees, all un-started matches were suspended on the outside courts. But under the rules, players already on court have to play on and finish their matches.

Sharapova took a medical time out following a 10-minute heat break and let a 5-0 lead in the final set slip through her fingers.

Fears of a repeat of the clashes between Serbs and Croats that marred the opening day of the Grand Slam failed to materialise on Tuesday.

The match between Serbia's Ilia Bozoljac and Croatian Marin Cilic took place amid heavy security and was completed without any problems as troublemakers stayed away from the grounds.

Sharapova could scarcely believe the scrap she had been drawn into under the blazing sun.

Trying to keep cool during the changeovers, Sharapova wrapped an ice-filled tube round her neck and chest to fend off the punishing heat.

At 6-6 in the third set, a delirious Sharapova looked completely out of sorts as she plopped down serves and had to be reminded by the umpire that there was no tiebreak in the decider.

Scenting a famous victory, Pin bounded up and down the court and grabbed a break for a 7-6 lead as Sharapova dropped her serve to love with a double fault.

However, Pin's lack of experience on the big stage finally caught up with her and Sharapova won the next three games.

The roof was closed on the Rod Laver Arena under the extreme heat rules following the conclusion of Sharapova's match.

Belgium's Christophe Rochus and Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia became the latest players to drop out because of the conditions.

Rochus withdrew from his match against Sebastien Grosjean with breathing difficulties while Tipsarevic also blamed the heat after he ran out of puff in the final set against eighth seed David Nalbandian.

Rafael Nadal had the fortune to play under a closed roof and proved he had done his homework as he blunted American Robert Kendrick's challenge with a 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.

The second seed had to claw back from two sets down the last time the duo met, at Wimbledon in 2006, but on Tuesday he maintained control throughout.

Hewitt was lucky to keep alive Australia's chances of ending their search for a first home-grown men's champion since 1976.

He fought tooth-and-nail for a 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win over

American qualifier Michael Russell.

Hewitt's former fiancee Kim Clijsters showed there was no room for sentiment as she began her final fling at the tournament before retiring later this year.

A clubbing forehand ended a 44-minute, 6-0, 6-0 ordeal for hapless Russian teenager Vasilisa Bardina.

Andy Murray almost mimicked Clijsters's ruthless streak when he humiliated Spain's Alberto Martin 6-0, 6-0, 6-1.

The 15th-seeded Scot won the first 17 games before Martin stole a consolation game, leaving Murray to just miss out on the first Grand Slam triple bagel since 1993.

Martina Hingis was almost as emphatic in a 6-0, 6-2 win over Nathalie Dechy.

India's Sania Mirza edged out first-round opponent Olga Savchuk and said she hoped her continued success would fuel the burgeoning interest in tennis in her homeland.

The 20-year-old reached the second round 6-3, 7-5 at the expense of the Ukrainian, and said her desire for personal success was matched by her joy at seeing tennis become more popular at home.

World No 53 Mirza, who has never passed the Melbourne Park third round in two attempts, will face Japan's Aiko Nakamura in round two.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

First round: Alex Kuznetsov (US) beat Peter Luczak (Australia) 6-4, 5-7, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-4; Arnaud Clement (France) beat 29-Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4; Frank Dancevic (Canada) beat Victor Hanescu (Romania) 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3); Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, 6-6 (1-3) – Mathieu retired; Florian Mayer (Germany) beat 23-Robin Soederling (Sweden) 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0; 19-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat Michael Russell (US) 3-6, 2-6 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; 12-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Albert Montanes (Spain) 7-5, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3); Fabrice Santoro (France) beat Igor Kunitsyn (Russia) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-0; 21-Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) beat Alexander Waske (Germany) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; 10-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Evgeny Korolev (Russia) 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-2; Ilia Bozoljac (Serbia) beat Marin Cilic (Croatia) 6-2, 6-4, 6-1; Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Alessio Di Mauro (Italy) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1; 17-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Paul Goldstein (US) 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Kristof Vliegen (Belgium) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; 3-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Sergio Roitman (Argentina) 6-2, 7-5, 6-2; Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) beat Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; 15-Andy Murray (Britain) beat Alberto Martin (Spain) 6-0, 6-0, 6-1; 5-James Blake (US) beat Carlos Moya (Spain) 7-6 (10-8), 6-2, 6-4; 2-Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Robert Kendrick (US) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-2; Olivier Rochus (Belgium) beat Chris Guccione (Australia) 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 9-7; Paul Capdeville (Chile) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-1, 6-2; 8-David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 6-7 (5-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-0, 2-1 – Tipsarevic retired; Mischa Zverev (Germany) beat Michael Berrer (Germany) 6-4, 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 6-4; Robby Ginepri (US) beat 32-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 4-6, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3; Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) beat Potito Starace (Italy) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4; Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) beat Alan Mackin (Britain) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; 31-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Kevin Kim (US) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2; Robert Smeets (Australia) beat Lukas Lacko (Slovakia) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; 13-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Hyung-Taik Lee (South Korea) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; 28-Sebastien Grosjean (France) beat Christophe Rochus (Belgium) 6-2, 4-1 – Rochus retired.

Women’s singles:

First round:

Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) beat 28-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 7-5, 7-6 (7-3); 30-Tathiana Garbin (Italy) beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1; Akiko Morigami (Japan) beat Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4; Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) beat Emma Laine (Finland) 4-6, 6-2, 9-7; Virginie Razzano (France) beat Nicole Pratt (Australia) 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 6-0; Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat Varvara Lepchenko (Uzbekistan) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2; Renata Voracova (Czech Republic) beat Meghann Shaughnessy (US) 7-5, 6-3; 29-Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (France) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6); Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) beat Sophie Ferguson (Australia) 7-5, 6-3; Aiko Nakamura (Japan) beat 32-Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 6-4, 6-0; 24-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) 6-3, 6-1; Alicia Molik (Australia) beat Yung-Jan Chan (Taiwan) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4); 6-Martina Hingis (Switzerland) beat Nathalie Dechy (France) 6-0, 6-2; 4-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat Vasilisa Bardina (Russia) 6-0, 6-0; 1-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Camille Pin (France) 6-3, 4-6, 9-7; 12-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) beat Sybille Bammer (Austria) 6-4, 7-5; Laura Granville (U.S.) beat Yulia Beygelzimer (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-3; Sania Mirza (India) beat Olga Savchuk (Ukraine) 6-3, 7-5; 13-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) beat Vania King (US) 6-2, 6-0; Anastassia Rodionova (Russia) beat Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-3, 6-1.—Reuters