Down on one knee,Nadal wins easily

Spaniard faces new injury scare; Federer,womens defending champion Clijsters,advance in straight sets

Rafael Nadal has a new injury issue a tendon problem in his right knee that nearly prompted him to forfeit a first-round match at the Australian Open that he managed to win easily. Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters,both bothered by injuries coming into the tournament,also advanced to the second round in more routine fashion on Monday and said they felt they were over their ailments.

That wasnt the case with Nadal. Bothered by a left shoulder injury late last year,Nadal had his right knee heavily taped during his 6-4,6-1,6-1 win over Alex Kuznetsov. The injury occurred in the most innocent of ways sitting in a chair in his hotel room when he felt a crack in his knee and some unbelievable pain.

He had an MRI scan late on Sunday that showed no major damage to his knee,but before that,the incident left him thinking. I wasnt 100 percent sure I would have a chance to play. Thats in the past, Nadal said when asked about his shoulder injury in a post-match television interview. But it was a different story later when he talked about his knee. I was sitting on a chair in the hotel,I felt like a crack on the knee 8230; really strange,he said. I stand up. I felt the knee a little bit strange. I moved the leg like this two times to try to find the feeling. After the second time,the knee stays with an unbelievable pain completely straight. I have no movement on the knee.

Meanwhile Federer,who pulled out of a tournament in Doha two weeks ago with back soreness,began the quest for his 17th Grand Slam title and first since the 2010 Australian Open 8211; with a 7-5,6-2,6-2 win over qualifier Alexander Kudryavtsev.

Li Na advances

Defending womens champion Clijsters opened with a 7-5,6-1 win over Portuguese qualifier Maria Joao Koehler,showing no signs of the hip spasms which forced her to withdraw from a tuneup event in Brisbane ten days ago. Li Na had a 6-3,6-1 win over Ksenia Pervak of Kazakhstan. Li was a trailblazer for China last year,reaching a Grand Slam singles final for the first time before losing to Kim Clijsters at Melbourne Park.

Sania loses

As Sania Mirza comes back to competitive tennis from a knee injury to suffer two consecutive defeats,including one on Monday at Australian Open,the Indian said her joint structure is such that she is more prone to injuries. Sania8217;s 2011 season was cut short after the US Open due to a knee injury and she began the new season at Auckland where she lost in the qualifiers. On Monday,she lost 4-6 2-6 in the women8217;s singles first round of the Australian Open to Tsvetana Pironkova.

Slam strike averted

Male players at the Australian Open on Monday warned of future strikes over prize money and said a proposal to boycott the year8217;s first grand slam had been strongly endorsed but ultimately knocked down. ATP members held a behind-closed-doors meeting on Saturday and backed a proposal not to play at Melbourne,Ukraine8217;s Sergiy Stakhovsky said.

Results First Round

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Men: Rafael Nadal 2 def. Alex Kuznetsov 6-4,6-1,6-1. Roger Federer 3 def. Alexander Kudryavtsev 7-5,6-2,6-2. Tomas Berdych 7, def. Albert Ramos 7-5,4-6,6-2,6-3. Mardy Fish 8 def. Gilles Muller 6-4,6-4,6-2. Nicolas Almagro 10 def. Lukasz Kubot 1-6,7-5,6-3,7-5. Juan Martin del Potro 11 def. Adrian Mannarino 2-6,6-1,7-5,6-4; Women : Caroline Wozniacki 1 def. Anastasia Rodionova 6-2,6-1. Victoria Azarenka 3 def. Heather Watson 6-1,6-0. Li Na 5 def. Ksenia Pervak 6-3,6-1. Agnieszka Radwanska 8 def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-7 10,6-4,6-2. Francesca Schiavone 10 def. Laura Pous 6-1,6-3. Kim Clijsters 11 def. Maria Joao Koehler 7-5,6-1.