ROME, May 8: Third seed Ivan Ljubicic became the first big casualty at the Rome Masters when he lost 5-7 7-6 6-4 to Dominik Hrbaty on Monday. The big-serving Croat, winner of titles in Chennai and Zagreb this year, started as favourite to progress against Hrbaty, who had lost five of their previous six meetings.

Ljubicic looked on course for the win when he fired down the line to break decisively in the 12th game and take the first set but Hrbaty edged the second set tiebreak when his opponent put a backhand into the tramlines.

In the decider, Hrbaty attacked the net to save three break points in the ninth game before a series of errors by Ljubicic, including a double fault and a wild backhand that sailed over the baseline, gave him three match points.

Ljubicic saved the first with an ace but Hrbaty hit a forehand winner on the next point to set up a second-round tie against France's Fabrice Santoro, who beat qualifier Juan Monaco 4-6 6-2 6-3.

World number one Roger Federer begins his bid for a first Rome title against Argentine claycourt specialist Juan Ignacio Chela.

Results:

Men's singles (first round):

Mario Ancic (Croatia) beat Luis Horna (Peru) 6-4 6-4 1; Robby Ginepri (U.S.) beat Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 3-6 6-2 6-3; Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Nicolas Massu (Chile) 7-5 6-4 ; Florent Serra (France) beat James Blake (U.S.) 6-4 7-6(3) Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) 6-2 6-1; Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) beat Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 5-7 7-6(4) 6-4; Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Andreas Seppi (Italy) 6-2 7-6(7); Fabrice Santoro (France) beat Juan Monaco (Argentina) 4-6 6-2 6-3; Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 6-4 6-4; Jose Acasuso (Argentina) beat 11-David Ferrer (Spain) 7-5 6-0

GERMAN OPEN REULTS

Women's singles (first round):

Nathalie Vierin (Italy) beat Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) 6-2 6-2; Mara Santangelo (Italy) beat Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 3-6 6-2 6-1; Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-4 6-3; Kveta Peschke (Czech Republic) beat Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-4 6-3; Anne Kremer (Luxembourg) beat Ivana Lisjak (Croatia) 6-0 7-6; Sybille Bammer (Austria) beat Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) 6-3 6-2; Anna Smashnova (Israel) beat Ekaterina Bychkova (Russia) 6-4 4-6 6-4; Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) beat Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) 6-1 6-3 at 11-David Ferrer (Spain) 7-5 6-0

PRAGUE OPEN RESULTS

Women's singles (first round):

Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat Martina Sucha (Slovakia) 7-6 6-2; Stephanie Foretz (France) beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) 6-3 6-3; Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) beat Marion Bartoli (France) 6-7 6-3 6-2; Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) beat Viktoriya Kutuzova (Ukraine) 6-2 6-2; Shahar Peer (Israel) beat Nikola Frankova (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-1 —Reuters