Federer makes stylish start with straight sets victory

Rome Masters: Roger Federer began his bid for a first Rome Masters title in style with a 6-2 6-1 win over Juan Ignacio Chela yesterday.

The world number one, who has failed to win the claycourt tournament in six previous visits, took just over an hour to outclass the Argentine, who was dragged around the court by his opponent's disorientating changes of pace and direction.

"The score, I think, tells it all," said Federer, who missed last year's tournament due to a foot injury. "It's good to come back after two years here to Rome and right away win a match.

"I was already playing excellent (tennis) in practice, so to play well in the match like this is a very good feeling. I'm into the tournament now, and that's a big relief."

Third seed Ivan Ljubicic and seventh seed James Blake were among the early casualties, going out against Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty and Frenchman Florent Serra respectively.

Ljubicic, the world number four, was the favourite against Hrbaty after winning five of their six previous meetings, although all but one of the matches had gone to a deciding set.

In the end it was a predictably tight contest, clinched in the 10th game of the third set when a series of errors put Ljubicic at 0-40.

The Croat saved the first match point with an ace but Hrbaty then produced a forehand winner to score a 5-7 7-6 6-4 victory.

"At least now I'll have six more days to train myself for the next tournament in Hamburg," said Ljubicic. "The more I play on clay, the more confident I feel."

Blake, who reached the final at Indian Wells in March, never found range on his shots as he lost 6-4 7-6 to Serra.

Federer's main rival, second seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal, begins his campaign against 2004 winner Carlos Moya today.

Greg Rusedski overcame clay specialist Tommy Robredo in three sets. The British number two's serve was slow to get going but he recovered in the match to win 5-7 6-3 6-4.

The pair traded breaks in the opening two games of the match, Rusedski recovering from the loss of the first game to race into a 40-0 lead in the second and secure the break at the second time of asking.

But the British number two was then all too easily broken again and Robredo held to open up a 3-1 lead.

Rusedski saved a set point on his own serve at 5-3 and responded by breaking back to level the set at 5-5.

But just as before, Rusedski lost the momentum and was broken once more and the 24-year-old Spaniard closed out the set just inside an hour.

Rusedski saved a break opportunity at 2-2 in second set and held to go ahead and an ace took him into a 4-3 lead. He levelled the match by breaking and then served out.

The 32-year-old opened the deciding set with a break and came through to win the set 6-4 and claim his first tour victory over Robredo.