The indefatigable top seed beat 137th-ranked American Zack Fleishman 6-3, 6-3 little more than 48 hours after losing a US Open semi-final to Roger Federer.
Davydenko, who prides himself on playing for weeks on end while maintaining a top-five ranking, was one of three seeds to register first-round wins. He earned himself a second-round clash with Croatian teenager Marin Cilic, who beat German Rainer Schuettler 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3.
Fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic followed Davydenko’s winning example at the Beijing tennis centre, putting out Japan’s up-and-coming Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-4.
Croatian Ljubicic has had a solid season, reaching the quarters or better six times and winning his seventh and eighth ATP titles in the Gulf and the Netherlands.
Holder Marcos Baghdatis, the number five, began the defence of his 2006 title with a defeat of China’s Zeng Shao-Xuan 7-6 (7/3), 7-5. Frenchman Jo-Wilfred Tsonga rounded out the seeded success when India’s Rohan Bopanna retired injured 6-3, 1-0.
Davydenko, who played a match in July which is now being investigated by the ATP and Scotland Yard specialists due to irregular betting patterns on the Internet, prides himself on playing almost year-round. The Russian is trying not to let suspicions about his loss last summer in Sopot, Poland, colour his current performance with a Davis Cup semi-final with Germany looming.
A pair of young Serbs advanced, with Boris Pashanski defeating Lu Yen-Hsun of Taiwan 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) and Viktor Troicki beating Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-4.
Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer, winner of an Asian title in 2000 in Hong Kong, reached the second round over Dudi Sela of Israel 6-2, 6-3.
Tuesday’s results (x denotes seeding):
First round: Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x4) bt Kei Nishikori (JPN) 6-3, 6-4; Nicolas Kiefer (GER) bt Dudi Sela (ISR) 6-2, 6-3; Marin Cilic (CRO) bt Rainer Schuettler (GER) 6-7, (5/7), 6-3, 6-3; Rik de Voest (RSA) bt Jun Woong-Sun (KOR) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4); Jo-Wilfred Tsonga (FRA x7) bt Rohan Bopanna (IND) 6-3, 1-0, retired; Boris Pashanski (SRB) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 7-6 (8/6); Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-4; Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x1) bt Zack Fleishman (USA) 6-3, 6-3; Marcos Baghdatis (CYP x5) bt Shao-Xuan Zeng (CHN) 7-6 (7/3), 7-5.
DAVENPORT DAZZLES
NUSA DUA (Indonesia): Former world number one Lindsay Davenport on Tuesday cruised to the first win of her post-pregnancy comeback, crushing fifth seed Eleni Daniilidou 6-2, 6-2 at the Bali International.
Davenport claimed the first-round win with her ninth ace and won the last 20 points of the opening set. Davenport, who is making her return to singles play here after a year away from the game, never faced a break point while breaking the Greek’s serve three times during the match, which lasted just 45 minutes.
The 31-year-old Californian, who has won 51 titles, last played a year ago in Beijing when she announced she was leaving the game for the joys of home and hearth. That vow lasted until barely a month after the June birth, with Davenport now committed to Bali plus the WTA event next week in the Chinese capital.
After that, she will make a decision about her plans for 2008, possibly beginning in January in Australia.
Davenport – who is travelling with Jagger, mother Ann, a hitting partner and a nanny – was clearly surprised by her solid performance at the tournament here, which she won in 2005.
Davenport next faces fellow American Julie Ditty, who opened with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Czech Hana Sromova.
Third seed Patty Schnyder, who has twice reached the semi-finals here, shook off a bout of stomach trouble to roll past China’s Zhang Shuai 6-4, 6-2.
Australian Casey Dellacqua set up a second-round match with top seed Jelena Jankovic after beating Dane Caroline Wozniacki 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Tuesday’s results:
Anabel Medina (ESP x4) bt Sandy Gumulya (IND) 6-1, 6-1; Sara Errani (Italy) bt Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(4); Yuan Meng (CHN) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (RUS x8) 6-0, 6-1; Lindsay Davenport (US) bt 5-Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 6-2, 6-2; Ayumi Morita (JAP) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 6-4, 6-4; Patty Schnyder (SWI x3) bt Zhang Shuai (CHN) 6-4, 6-2; Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Anastasia Rodionova (RUS) 6-2, 6-4; Martina Mueller (GER x6) bt Tatiana Poutchek (BRS) 6-3, 6-3; Casey Dell’Acqua (AUS) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 1-6, 6-1, 6-3; Julie Ditty (US) bt Hana Sromova (CZE) 6-2, 6-1.—Agencies