ESTORIL (Portugal), May 1: Novak Djokovic drew a chorus of football-inspired jeers as he donned the crimson stripe of Portuguese powerhouse Benfica after scraping to a laboured 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) opening victory on Monday at the Estoril Open.

The third seed had to work to overcome Russian Igor Andreev in the first round, taking two hours 42 minutes to advance.

The Serb now ranked a career high fifth in the world, was still riding a wave of emotion after attending a league match on Sunday where Benfica drew 1-1 with Sporting Lisbon.

The 19-year-old winner said that the colours of Benfica were the deciding factor: “Red is my colour, I support Benfica, AC Milan and Manchester United.”

Djokovic, who had a great hardcourt season winning a Masters Series event in Miami after losing the Indian Wells final to Rafael Nadal, is making a slow start to his clay season after winning just one match at Monte Carlo in his first outing.

But he couldn't have asked for a tougher test than Andreev, the last man to beat Nadal on clay more than a year ago.

The winner will next face Spain's Santiago Ventura, who defeated Argentine Sergio Roitman 7-5, 6-2 on a day of wind and changing conditions.

In another result at the Estadio Nacional, Argentine Juan Monaco, winner on clay already this season having won the Buenos Aires tournament in February, knocked out slumping French eighth seed Gael Monfils 7-5, 1-6, 6-2.

The 20-year-old loser has now lost both of his clay contests in 2007 in a dreadful start to the pre-Roland Garros campaign.

Argentine hope Juan Del Potro beat Colombian Alejandro Falla 1-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Russian Nikolay Davydenko, who lost in the final last year to Argentinian David Nalbandian, is top seed at the event, which he won in 2003.

But the world No 4 will not start until Wednesday after suffering a wrist injury during a massage last week in Barcelona.

Second seed Tommy Robredo, the 2005 finalist who got in on a wild card after Briton Andy Murray withdrew to rest a back injury, opens on Tuesday against fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes.

In the women's WTA event, third seeded Czech Lucie Safarova beat Aravane Rezai of France 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 while No 5 Russian Olga Poutchkova beat compatriot Anatassia Rodionova 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5).

Monday’s results: (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

First round: Frederico Gil (Portugal) beat Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3; Alberto Martin (Spain) beat Evgeny Korolev (Russia) 6-1, 2-0 – Korolev retired; Juan Monaco (Argentina) beat 8-Gael Monfils (France) 7-5, 1-6, 6-2; 3-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Igor Andreev (Russia) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5); Santiago Ventura (Spain) beat Sergio Roitman (Argentina) 7-5, 6-2; Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Alejandro Falla (Colombia) 1-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Women’s singles:

First round: Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spain) beat Ana Catarina Nogueira (Portugal) 6-1, 7-6 (7-2); Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) beat Virginie Razzano (France) 7-6 (16-14), 7-5; 5-Olga Poutchkova (Russia) beat Anastassia Rodionova (Russia) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5); 3-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat Aravane Rezai (France) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.—Agencies