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Federer survives Andreev scare
Roger Federer survived a scare against big-serving Igor Andreev in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday, coming back from a set down to beat the Russian 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, 6-0.
The Swiss World No 1, bidding for his fourth title at Melbourne Park, saved three set points to close out the third set and break Andreev's spirit, before breezing through the fourth in 28 minutes.
"I just hoped that I was going to hang in there ... He was a wonderful player and it was tough," Federer said in a court-side interview.
"It was a fortunate third set for me today, but all in all I'm very happy with my performance."
Federer, who has never been eliminated in the first round in 11 appearances at Melbourne Park, next plays the winner of the match between Chile's Juan Ignacio Chela and Romania's Victor Hanescu.
Dangerous Davydenko crushes Kindlmann
In-form Russian Nikolay Davydenko eased into the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday with a 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 win over German qualifier Dieter Kindlmann.
Davydenko could hardly have made a better start to the tournament as he chases his first Grand Slam title after a run of giant-killing performances over the last six months.
The World No 6 is undefeated in 2010 and beat both Federer and Nadal again to win a lead-up tournament in Doha.
And there's a lesson for Melbourne locals: the little balding bloke sitting in the corner having dinner may be Nikolay Davydenko. Or it may not be.
That's precisely the level of anonymity the Russian dark horse for this year's Australian Open wants.
"I am not Paris Hilton," the World No 6 said.
"I don't want to be like this. I don't want to be like (Rafa) Nadal, (Roger) Federer. These guys I never see by breakfast. They stay in the room and take room service.
"For me better go downstairs take breakfast, or dinner to go somewhere - not to be so much famous."
"I want to be fast. I want to be running fast," Davydenko said.
"Del Potro told me now I am like PlayStation 3. Everybody is thinking I am very fast on the court.
"Now I try to be faster and faster and come to level PlayStation 4. I hope I can do this. It's very important to me."
Clinical Serena thrashes Radwanska
Serena Williams opened her title defence with a clinical 6-2, 6-1 victory over Poland's Urszula Radwanska in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
The 11-time Grand Slam champion, bidding for a fifth Melbourne title, had her right leg heavily strapped, but appeared in no discomfort as she wrapped up the match in an hour and 13 minutes.
Serena was never threatened by the 72nd-ranked Radwanska, clubbing 26 winners as she raced through the second set in just 33 minutes.
However, Serena's subdued performance provoked questions about whether she was reining in her personality.
Serena, whose last Grand Slam ended in a huge fine and a two-year probation after a tirade at a line judge at Flushing Meadows, denied she had changed her on-court style to protect herself from the game's moral guardians.
"No, I don't think I was quiet at all. I felt like I pumped my fist a little bit. I feel like I was definitely being who I could be. That's all I can do," said Serena.
Serena was more animated after the match, however, calling her $92,000 fine for the US Open outburst "a lot of money to fine someone".
"I don't know whoever got fined like that. People said worse, done worse. I just thought it was a bit much," she said.
"I always said what I did wasn't right, but I turned that around and I'm actually raising $92,000 to educate ladies, women, also for my school in Africa.
"Also I'm giving some money to Haiti, as well, because (of) the recent things," added Serena.
Serena will next play the winner of the match between fellow American Jill Craybas and Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova.
Jankovic advances to Round 2
Jelena Jankovic is happy to let others take the limelight at this year's Australian Open and leave her to get on with the business of winning matches.
Jankovic arrived in Melbourne last year as World No 1. In 2010, she is ranked eighth, and with the focus on the return of Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova, the Serb has flown under the radar.
A 6-4, 6-0 first round victory over Monica Niculescu on Tuesday at least ensured the 24-year-old would not attract the wrong sort of headlines, as she did last week after losing her opening match at the Sydney International.
"What is written in the papers is not really my job," Jankovic told reporters after her victory over the Romanian.
"You know, there's always gonna to be things that are written, good or bad, about each player.
"I just try to focus on my tennis and what I do best. I'm here to play and compete. That's basically what I'm thinking about."
The first round match had been originally scheduled for Monday but rain forced most of the matches on the outside courts to be postponed until Tuesday.
Steaming Soderling crashes out
An angry Robin Soderling blew a two-set advantage over Spain's Marcel Granollers and crashed out of the Australian Open in the first round on Tuesday.
The World No 8, who had a breakout season in 2009, had been suffering from elbow tendinitis before the tournament but refused to blame the injury for his 5-7, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 loss to the 23-year-old Spaniard.
"I didn't feel good at all," a visibly angry Soderling told reporters. "I don't know what happened I just didn't play well.
"I started terrible and finished terrible," he said, adding that the elbow injury had not affected his performance.
The Swede had held a 3-0 career record over the 113th-ranked Granollers before Tuesday''s match. All of the matches, on three different surfaces, were played last year.
Soderling said he would return home immediately and did not have any plans to play again soon.
"I don't know," he said when asked when his next tournament would be.
"Maybe not at all. But we will see.
"I played a terrible match today and am pretty disappointed."
Venus thrashes Safarova
Venus Williams followed younger sister Serena into the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Lucie Safarova.
The sixth-ranked Venus did not allow the 22-year-old Safarova to settle in the first set, racing out to a 4-1 lead before she broke for the second time to seal it.
Safarova broke the first game of the second set, but it was all the 29-year-old American would give her Czech opponent and she immediately broke back before romping to victory in just 71 minutes.
Hewitt trounces Brazil's Hocevar
A fired-up Lleyton Hewitt advanced to the second round of the Australian Open with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 demolition of Brazil's Ricardo Hocevar on Tuesday.
The two-time Grand Slam champion was at his scrambling, fist-pumping best, breaking the Brazilian early in each of his sets and racing to victory in an hour and 40 minutes to the delight of home fans at Rod Laver Arena.
The Australian next faces the winner of the match between Belgian Christophe Rochus and American Donald Young.
Verdasco gives Ball the boot
Ninth seed Fernando Verdasco ground down a stubborn Carsten Ball to advance to the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
The left-handed Spaniard initially had trouble against the gangly Australian wildcard, losing the first set in a tiebreak before he clinched the match 6-7, 7-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Verdasco, who won the invitational Kooyong Classic before the Australian Open, had a solid workout against the 22-year-old Ball, who had a poor service game but attacked the World No 9 at every opportunity to keep him off his stride.
Both players had several opportunities to seize the initiative before Verdasco broke Ball's serve twice in both the third and fourth sets to come through in just over three hours.
Samantha Stosur scrapes through
Local hope Samantha Stosur did her fragile confidence few favours in a scratchy 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 win over Chinese qualifier Han Xinyun in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Stosur, who has struggled to cope with expectations at home since making the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year, wrapped up the first set quickly but was broken twice after an attack of nerves in the second.
The 13th-seeded Australian dug deep in the decider, however, finding her service game and ultimately possessing too many weapons for the Chinese teenager playing her first Grand Slam match.
"Really happy to get through with the win ... It's always a relief to get through a first round," the 25-year-old, seeded 13th here, told reporters.
"I think I served well, except for that second set," said Stosur.
"My percentage went way down and then she had some more looks at second serves."
Stosur will play the winner of the match between Germany's Kristina Barrois and Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova next.