SAN JOSE (California), Feb 14: Andy Murray began his dramatic rise in the rankings with his first career victory at last year’s SAP Open. Now he's hoping to use the event to begin a climb into the top 10.

The third-seeded Murray opened defence of his lone career title on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Kevin Kim in his 100th career match.

Murray worked on his serve, including a fitness programme designed to strengthen his upper body, through the off season and managed a career best 145 mph serve against Kim and recorded 11 aces.

Fourth-seeded Marat Safin also advanced to the second round with a 6-4, 7-6 (3) victory over wild card Scott Oudsema. Safin used a dink, his forehand and a backhand cross court shot in the tiebreaker to set up an ace for the victory.

Oudsema, who has yet to reach a singles final at any level, held his own against the former top-ranked player. When he got his first serve in, he won 91 percent of the points, including 17 aces. However, Oudsema only got 40 percent of his first serves in.Safin has not won a tournament since the 2005 Australian Open. He's been bothered by a left knee injury the past two years.

Eighth-seeded Vince Spadea also advanced to the second round with 6-3, 6-4 victory over Danai Udomchoke of Thailand.

Spadea, a four-time quarter-finalist in this event, had eight aces and broke Danai six times. Bjorn Phau of Germany, a quarter-finalist last year, rolled past Konstantinos Economidis of Greece, who lost his 24th career ATP match, 6-2, 6-3 in 56 minutes.

Seventh-seeded Lee Hyung-taik won his first ATP match since October in putting away American qualifier Phillip King 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Results (x denotes seeding):

First Round: Andy Murray (GBR x3) bt Kevin Kim (US) 6-3, 6-1; Marat Safin (RUS x4) bt Scott Oudsema (US) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3); Vincent Spadea (US x8) bt Danai Udomchoke (THA) 6-3, 6-4; Bjorn Phau (GER) bt Konstantinos Economidis (GRE) 6-2, 6-3; Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR x7) bt Phillip King (US) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

Kuerten wins

COSTA DO SAUIPE (Brazil): Former world number one Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil won his first match in 18 months by defeating Italy's Filippo Volandri 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the Brazilian Open here on Tuesday.

The three-time French Open winner was sidelined for most of last year as he attempted to recover from a hip operation he underwent in 2004. His last win was for Brazil in a Davis Cup tie against Uruguay in September 2005.

His world ranking has slumped down to 1,076th and he needed a wild card to play in his home ATP tournament, a title he has won twice before in 2002 and 2004.

But he needed just 46 minutes to see off Volandri on the Costa da Sauipe claycourts, serving 13 aces in the process, and he goes on to play against another Italian, Alessio Di Mauro, in the second round.

Results

First round: Virginie Razzano (FRA) bt Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 6-4, 6-1; Sybille Bammer (AUT) bt Caroline Maes (BEL) 6-2, 6-0; Olga Poutchkova (RUS) bt Severine Bremond (FRA) 7-6 (7/2), retired; Nathalie Dechy (FRA) bt Julia Schruff (GER) 6-1, 6-1; Vera Zvonareva (RUS) bt Lilia Osterloh (USA) 6-1, 6-0; Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) bt Vera Dushevina (RUS) 6-4, 6-1. —Agencies