CINCINNATI, (Ohio) Aug 17: Rafael Nadal’s 16-match unbeaten streak was brought to a juddering halt by Czech teenager Tomas Berdych on Tuesday, the world number two falling 6-7 6-2 7-6 in a first-round encounter at the Cincinnati Masters.

Fresh from a ninth title of the season at the Montreal Masters on Sunday, the Spaniard blew three match points in the final set before Berdych took the decisive tiebreaker after almost three hours of pulsating action.

The two 19-year-olds fought out a stunning battle, the Czech plundering huge winners from the baseline and Nadal chasing down everything as if he was playing his first, and not his 74th match of the year.

Hewitt, the third seed, beat Russian Igor Andreev 6-3 6-4.

Safin had to recover from a slow start after twice falling a break of serve down to world number 86 Hernych but once he had won the tiebreak 7-3, he ran out a comfortable winner.

The Russian now faces British wild card Andy Murray who ousted American Taylor Dent 7-6 7-6 in his first Masters Series appearance.

Results(first round)

Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) bt Tommy Haas (Germany) 6-3 2-6 6-1; Robby Ginepri (United States) bt Mariano Puerta (Argentina) 7-6(2) 6-1; David Ferrer (Spain) bt Wesley Moodie (South Africa) 6-2 6-1; Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) bt Thomas Johansson (Sweden) 6-1 7-5; Gilles Simon (France) bt Vince Spadea (United States) 2-6 6-2 6-3;

Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) bt Rafael Nadal (Spain) 6-7(4) 6-2 7-6(3); Carlos Moya (Spain) bt Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 6-4 6-4; Andy Murray (Britain) bt Taylor Dent (United States) 7-6(4) 7-6(1); Tommy Robredo (Spain) bt Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) 2-6 6-3 6-3; Jose Acasuso (Argentina) bt Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) 6-3 6-2; Marat Safin (Russia) bt Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) 7-6(3) 6-4; Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) bt Igor Andreev (Russia) 6-3 6-4; Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) bt Sebastien Grosjean (France) 7-6(4) 7-5; Greg Rusedski (Britain) bt Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 4-6 7-5 6-4; Robin Soederling (Sweden) beat Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 6-2 6-4.

TORONTO: Second-seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo returned from a month-long layoff to open the defence of her Rogers Cup title with a 6-2 6-3 second round victory over Dally Randriantefy of Madagascar on Tuesday.

Third-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova had an even tougher time in her second round match, overcoming a terrible start to finally eliminate Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 2-6 7-5 6-4.

In the evening, Serena Williams was another of the top ranked players given a tough test, and the fifth seeded American was forced to dig deep to overcome Stephanie Cohen Aloro of France 3-6 6-4 6-2.

In first round matches, 11th seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Montenegro was the highest ranked player to lose when she was dumped 6-4 5-7 6-2 by China’s Na Li.

Tenth seeded Nathalie Dechy of France moved on with a 6-2 6-4 win over Fabiola Zuluaga of Colombia.

Results (second round)

Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt Dally Randriantefy (Madagascar) 6-2 6-3; Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) 2-6 7-5 6-4; Serena Williams (United States) bt Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (France) 3-6 6-4 6-2.

First round

Jie Zheng (China) bt Maria Emilia Salerni (Argentina) 6-3 6-4;

Rika Fujiwara (Japan) bt Maria Elena Camerin (Italy) 6-0 6-3;

Conchita Martinez (Spain) bt Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) 6-1 6-7(1) 7-5; Sesil Karatantcheva (Bulgaria) bt Jill Craybas (United States) 6-2 2-6 6-3; Na Li (China) bt Jelena Jankovic (Serbia and Montenegro) 6-4 5-7 6-2; Virginie Razzano (France) bt Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) 6-3 3-6 6-3; Ana Ivanovic (Serbia and Montenegro) bt Tathiana Garbin (Italy) 6-2 7-6(3); Nathalie Dechy (France) bt Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) 6-2 6-4; Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) bt Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) 6-3 6-2; Antonella Serra Zanetti (Italy) bt Stephanie Dubois (Canada) 6-3 6-2; Alina Jidkova (Russia) bt Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-4 4-6 4-4 (Hantuchova retired); Mariana Diaz-Oliva (Argentina) bt Evgenia Linetskaya (Russia) 3-0 (Linetskaya retired); Flavia Pennetta (Italy) bt Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (Spain) 6-4 7-5; Dinara Safina (Russia) bt Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spain) 6-1 6-2 —Reuters