BASEL: Novak Djokovic made a winning debut on Tuesday at the Swiss Indoors as the Serbian claimed a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Andreas Beck in the tennis stronghold of Roger Federer.

Djokovic took just under 90 minutes to move into the second round, where top seed Federer got his start in the game a decade and a half ago as a ball boy at the indoor event. Djokovic, who leads the ATP with 67 wins, said he feels the presence of Federer around the grounds.

The player whose only experience in Basel was a qualifying loss in 2004, couldn’t fault his opening main draw effort. Third-ranked Djokovic delivered 10 aces to set up a second-round match with Czech Jan Hernych, who extended the misery of Australian qualifier Peter Luczak, who sank deeper into a rut with a third straight loss in the first round, 6-3, 6-4.

Swiss hopes fared well, with Marco Chiudinelli rallying from a final-set deficit to overhaul German eighth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 7-5. The Swiss player, ranked 73 in the world, has seen a rise in his fortunes in recent months, reaching the third round of the US Open and also reaching the quarter-finals in Bangkok. His Basel win in two-and-a-quarter hours was welcome as it ended a run of two successive first round exits in Shanghai and Vienna.

The Swiss pounded down 11 aces to 15 for his German opponent, with Chiudinelli saving 10 of the dozen break points he faced. The 28-year-old Chiudinelli, who is the third ranked Swiss singles player behind Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, is making his fifth appearance in Basel, and has now earned his second victory win for a 2-4 record after winning his first match here in five years. Russian Evgeny Korolev advanced over Italy’s Simone Bolelli 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, while Victor Troicki ended hope of Benjamin Becker 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).

Wickmayer triumphs

BALI: Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer won a battle of the generations

on Wednesday over 39-year-old Kimiko Date Krumm 7-6 (7/5),

6-3 in opening group play at the

Bali Tournament of Champions. Aravane Rezai earned an opening win

for France as she upset fourth

seed Sabine Lisicki 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 despite eight aces from the German.

The field at the $600 000 tournament comprises the 10 highest ranking players who have won a WTA

International title this year but who did not compete in the season-ending WTA Championships in Qatar, which finished on Sunday.

Wickmayer, 20, a surprise US Open finalist two months ago, gave away nearly two decades to her evergreen opponent, who is renewing her career after a decade-long pause. Wickmayer’s victory in just over 90 minutes was her 55th of a breakthrough season in which she won both of her career titles. Date Krumm lost serve five times as her younger European opponent took charge, never allowing the veteran a chance to turn the tide.

Rezai took one hour 44 minutes to secure victory over the upcoming Lisicki. The Frenchwoman kept the pressure on the 20-year-old German, forcing her to save 11 of 14 break points. Rezai came through to victory despite seven double-faults.