Hewitt gets easy win after opponent injured

Lleyton Hewitt had easy progress in the Australian Open earlier today as US qualifier Cecil Mamiit succumbed to a freak accident.

Mamiliit had to pull out of his first round match with Hewitt one game into the third set.

Hewitt, who was leading 6-2 6-4 0-1, last week won the adidas International in Sydney after having opponents withdraw in both the semi-final and final.

Today, Mamiit was chasing a short ball when he inadvertently placed his right foot on a mat used for the ball boys and slid into the umpires chair, crashing his right ankle against a metal bar.

The 27-year-old had extensive treatment during an injury time-out and attempted to continue, winning a game on his own serve, but limping throughout.

After a deft drop shot to claim the first game of the third set, Mamiit called it a day and withdrew.

In the Sydney semi-final last Friday Martin Verkerk retired ill and the following day Carlos Moya sprained his ankle so badly that it forced him to withdraw from the final and ruled him out of the Australian Open.

Hewitt will play Karol Kucera in the second round, a man he has beaten in both the Hopman Cup and adidas International this year.

Also through to the second round is world number two Roger Federer, who began in 2004 Grand Slam campaign in clinical fashion with a 6-3 6-4 6-0 victory over American Alex Bogomolov.

Tennis statistics do not always convey an accurate picture of a player’ dominance, but in this case they were absolute – 13 aces to none; 42 winners to nine; nine break point opportunities for Federer, none for Bogomolov.

“I am happy to have started well,” he said. “The beginning was a little bit tentative but I started to go more for my shots, I also volleyed well today, served well.

“Overall, I am really happy the way it started.”

The in-form David Nalbandian signalled his Grand Slam intentions with a 6-2 6-1 6-4 victory over Brazilian debutant Ricardo Mello.

The Argentine, who was in blistering touch en route to winning the Commonwealth Bank International in Kooyong last week, will play 20-year-old German Florian Mayer.

Though some of the big names progressed with scarcely a mark, seeds were being scattered to the wind – the biggest of which was Argentina’s Guillermo Coria.

The fifth seeded Argentine was dumped out in straight sets by Frenchman Cyril Saulnier 7-6 (9/7) 6-2 6-4.

The draw will now open up for the world number 76 who will face Moroccan Hicham Arazi in the second round.

Jonas Bjorkman, the 25th seed, was beaten by Armenian Sargis Sargsian 6-2 6-3 6-1 who goes on to face American veteran Todd Reid.

Spain’s Felix Mantilla (26) was downed by Thierry Ascone in three sets 7-5 6-1 7-6 (7/3), while Alberto Martin beat fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez (28) 3-6 4-6 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 6-2.