Top seeds Roger Federer and Marat Safin made confident starts to their claycourt season on Tuesday, moving swiftly through to the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters.
World number one Federer, looking to become the first player to win three consecutive Masters Series titles, recovered from an early wobble to beat Greg Rusedski 6-3, 6-1 while Safin breezed past South Korea's Lee Hyung-taik 6-0, 7-5.
There were two high-profile casualties, however, with third seed Tim Henman and fifth seed Carlos Moya both losing to Argentines. Henman fell 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to Mariano Zabaleta while former champion Moya slid out 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 to Mariano Puerta.
Federer found himself 3-1 down against the big-serving Rusedski before rattling off nine games in a row.
Rusedski managed to end the sequence at 0-4 down but Federer clinched the match after little more than an hour before entertaining the crowd by knocking up with a spectator.
"I just waited for my chance and once I got it, I took it," said Federer, who continues his tilt at a first Monte Carlo title with a second round match against Spain's Albert Montanes.
"The conditions were tough for him, he wasn't coming in much and was relying on his slice, that's a tough way to beat me."
Second seed Safin needed just 21 minutes to blast through the first set against an overwhelmed Hyung-taik.
The Russian, who lives a short stroll from the Country Club, took his foot off the gas in the second but still had too much weaponry, clinching a second-round meeting with Cyril Saulnier thanks to a single break of serve.
"I was able to experiment a little," said Australian Open champion Safin, who rates clay as his favourite surface.
"After Australia I had three weeks to rest and then it takes time, basically I lose the confidence," added Safin of his early exits from both Indian Wells and Miami.
UNHAPPY HAT-TRICK
Moya, winner here in 1998, racked up an unhappy hat-trick of defeats this season against Puerta who arrived fresh from winning the title in Casablanca on Sunday.
Having levelled the match after losing an exciting first set tiebreak 12-10, Moya dropped his serve to trail 3-1 in the third and the gritty Puerta hung on for victory.
"It's disappointing, this was a chance to win a few matches on clay," Moya said.
Henman trailed 6-4, 2-1 to Zabaleta overnight, but seemed to have turned things round with some trademark attacking tennis.
He was made to pay for a missed break point early in the decider though as Zabaleta claimed a fourth consecutive victory on clay over last year's French Open semi-finalist.
"I played better today and I felt that I was dictating a little bit. But on clay you have to make the most of these momentum swings," said the Briton.
Triple French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten, a big favourite in Monte Carlo after his titles in 1999 and 2001, also tasted defeat, losing 7-5, 6-2 to 13th seeded Croat Mario Ancic.
Kuerten, who returned in Valencia last week after a six-month absence following hip surgery, dropped serve at 5-6 in the first set, and then slipped a break behind early in the second as his challenge withered away.
"I lost a hard match and walked off court without pain, which is almost like a victory," the 28-year-old said.
In other play, eighth seed Ivan Ljubicic crashed 6-2, 6-2 to Olivier Rochus of Belgium while Slovakia's 14th seed Dominik Hrbaty was also beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Spaniard David Ferrer.
Tenth seed Nikolay Davydenko also looked to be heading for an early exit before coming from behind to beat Jurgen Melzer of Austria 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 and set up a clash with Albert Costa who beat Frenchman Michael Llodra 7-6, 6-2.
Frenchman Fabrice Santoro gave the home crowd something to cheer when the 32-year-old beat Sweden's Robin Soderling 7-6, 7-5 on his 14th appearance at Monte Carlo.
