Roddick was forced out of the hardcourt event with the strained lower back he injured at the Los Angeles Open last week, but the American is confident of being back to full strength for the US Open at the end of August.
Safin, a former-US Open champion, needed 81 minutes and an 8-6 tie-break win to dispose of Kunitsyn in an all-Russian first round clash.
Without a title this season, Safin displayed some of his old power, blasting 10 aces past Kunitsyn to push his match record for the season to 14-13.
In other first round action, American qualifier Ryan Sweeting, ranked 663rd and playing in his first ATP-level event, showed few signs of nerves in posting a 7-6, 6-2 upset win over countryman Justin Gimelstob.
South Africa's Wesley Moodie rallied past American wild card Sam Querrey 2-6, 7-6, 7-6 in a two hour, 16 minute marathon, while Germany's Denis Gremelmayr brushed past Moodie's compatriot Wesley Whitehouse, 6-2, 6-2.
American Kevin Kim breezed past compatriot Scott Oudsema 6-1, 6-3 and will next face top seed and 2002 champion James Blake.
Monday’s results:
First round: Andrea Stoppini (Italy) beat Paul Goldstein (US) 6-3, 6-2; Marat Safin (Russia) beat Igor Kunitsyn (Russia) 6-3, 7-6 (8-6); Kevin Kim (US) beat Scott Oudsema (US) 6-1, 6-; Phillip King (US) beat Bobby Reynolds (US) 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-3; Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) beat Danai Udomchoke (Thailand) 6-1, 6-2; Ryan Sweeting (US) beat Justin Gimelstob (US) 7-6 (9-7), 6-2; Denis Gremelmayr (Germany) beat Wesley Whitehouse (South Africa) 6-2, 6-2; Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia & Montenegro) beat Michael Venus (US) 6-2, 6-1; Wesley Moodie (South Africa) beat Sam Querrey (US) 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (8-6).
SAN DIEGO: Argentine veteran Paola Suarez toppled ninth seed Dinara Safina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to move into the second round of the San Diego Classic on Monday.
Safina was not the only to seed to fall, rising Serbian Jelena Jankovic knocking out number 16 Maria Kirilenko of Russia 6-1, 6-4.
Fourteenth seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia advanced, however, crushing Japan's Akiko Morigami 6-2, 6-1.
Australia's Samantha Stosur earned a meeting with top seed Kim Clijsters when she beat French veteran Nathalie Dechy 7-5, 6-4.
Former top-15 player Suarez has had a hard time recovering from a hip injury sustained last year, but the 30-year-old troubled Safina, who had difficulty keeping the ball in the court.
Suarez will next face qualifier Katerina Bondarenko of Ukraine, who ruined the WTA debut of 14-year-old American wild card CoCo Vandeweghe, the niece of former basketball player Kiki Vandeweghe, 6-4, 6-2.
Russian qualifier Vasilisa Bardina, 18, continued her fine form in taking down Meng Yuan of China 6-4, 6-2, and she will next face second seed and compatriot Maria Sharapova.
Spanish qualifier Virginia Ruano Pascual defeated Elena Likhovtseva 6-4, 6-3 and will now play 17-year-old Czech Nicole Vaidisova, the seventh seed.
Austria's Sybile Bammer beat Czech Lucie Safarova 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 and will take on defending champion Mary Pierce, who has not played since February due to a foot injury.Qualifier Meilen Tu overcame American Laura Granville 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 to set up a clash with former champion Martina Hingis.
Results:
First round: Sybille Bammer (Austria) beat Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1; 14-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia & Montenegro) beat Akiko Morigami (Japan) 6-2, 6-1; 12-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) beat Lisa Raymond (US) 7-5, 6-3; Shuai Peng (China) beat Mara Santangelo (Italy) 6-1, 6-4; Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Nathalie Dechy (France) 7-5, 6-4; Paola Suarez (Argentina) beat 9-Dinara Safina (Russia) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Katerina Bondarenko (Ukraine) beat CoCo Vandeweghe (US) 6-4, 6-2; Emma Laine (Finland) beat Vania King (US) 6-4, 6-2; Vasilisa Bardina (Russia) beat Meng Yuan (China) 6-2, 6-4; Meilen Tu (US) beat Laura Granville (US) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2; Jamea Jackson (U.S.) beat Mariana Diaz Oliva (Argentina) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; Jelena Jankovic (Serbia & Montenegro) beat 16-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 6-1, 6-4; Olga Savchuk (Ukraine) beat Hana Sromova (Czech Republic) 2-2 – Sromova retired; Virginia Ruano (Spain) beat Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 6-4, 6-3.—Reuters