Swiss smiles as Hingis, Federer breeze through
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-18 06:59

Hewitt's former girlfriend Clijsters, like Federer a favourite to win the championship, showed no outward signs of the hip injury that threatened her appearance here as she brushed aside South Korea's Cho Yoon-jeong 6-3, 6-0.

Hewitt celebrates winning a point during his match against Vik at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne.

But she said she was hurting and her movements and strokeplay were hampered.

"There's moments when it hurts, there's moments when it doesn't. So I just have to protect it," she said.

Mary Pierce, the fifth seed, was equally commanding in her opening match, taking less than an hour to dismantle Australian Nicole Pratt 6-1, 6-1 and will next play Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic.

"I've just been getting fitter and fitter over the last two years, working very hard for the last two years," said the veteran who won here in 1995.

"It started to pay off last year. I'm feeling really good still."

Others safely into the second round include Amelie Mauresmo, the third seed who beat Pierce in the final of the WTA Championship.

But she was taken to three sets by China's Sun Tiantian.

"The rhythm wasn't really here today," said the 1999 finalist, who committed 35 unforced errors.

"Still, it's the first match, sometimes it goes very well, sometimes you struggle a little bit - that was the case today."

Patty Schnyder, the Swiss seventh seed who reached the quarter-finals here last year, is also through after overcoming Eleni Daniilidou of Greece 6-4, 6-3.

No 12 seed Anastasia Myskina also comfortably made the second round, making her the seventh Russian women to pass the first hurdle.

Among the men, sixth seed Guillermo Coria of Argentina booked his berth with victory over Romanian Victor Hanescu and Tommy Haas, considered a dark horse, continued his impressive form.

The German, who beat Federer at the Kooyong Classic last week, ousted 14th seed Richard Gasquet of France in straight sets.

It was a disappointing end to the day for home fans when French 25th seed Sebastien Grosjean swept past struggling hometown boy Mark Philippoussis 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 in the featured night match.