Seeds take their time to sprout

Amelie Mauresmo, who claimed her first Grand Slam title last year here, also started a bit nervous with a 6-4,6-3 win against American Shenay Perry and Andy Roddick had to survive a slow start against a wild-card entry ranked 212th.

The bottom line in the first days of the two-week event is getting through without injury and finding form after the off season, often while facing unfamiliar opponents with nothing to lose. Fourth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic didn’t make it, falling 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4 to American Mardy Fish.

Federer feared losing the first set, which helped him regain his focus. “I’m happy I’m through because it looked like it was definitely going to head for a first-set loss, but I came through.”

That was Roddick’s mantra, too, after Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, riding a powerful serve in only his sixth match in a top level ATP event, took the first set in a marathon tiebreaker and served for the second set. Roddick wasted four set points in the but came through with a 6-7 (18), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-3 victory.

In a marathon last match of the day, 2005 champion Marat Safin beat Benjamin Becker of Germany 5-7, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, demonstrating his renowned temper while continuing his comeback from a left knee injury.

Becker had the 26th-seeded muttering to himself early with a strong serve and stinging groundstrokes. The Russian slammed his racket to the ground after missing an easy forehand in the second set. Then, minutes after a fan shouted “Get angry!”, Safin smashed the racket and broke it, earning a warning for racket abuse. He was on his best behaviour the rest of the way. Becker made two errors that gave Safin the last break he needed as thousands of fans stayed to the end of the 3 1/2-hour match, bundling up on a chilly night.

Serena Williams, seeking her eighth Grand Slam title but unseeded after a rash of injuries, started slow, too, but picked up her game to oust 27th-seeded Mara Santangelo 6-2, 6-1 in an error-plagued night match. Nicole Vaidisova, seeded 10th, beat American Jill Craybas 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 and 11th-seeded Jelena Jankovic continued her successful start to the year with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak.

Other important results:

Men: Juan Carlos Ferrero (24) def Jan Hajek 3-0, ret; Dudi Sela def Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 6-2, 6-2; Marcos Baghdatis (11) def Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2; Tommy Robredo (7) def Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-4, 6-4, 6-0; David Ferrer (16) def Kristian Pless 7-5, 6-4, 6-3.

Women: Elena Dementieva (7) def Stephanie Foretz 6-1, 6-2; Tatiana Golovin (20) def Anna Smashnova 6-3, 6-1; 4-6, 7-5; Nadia Petrova (5) def Tanasugarn 6-3, 6-2.