Associated Press

Rotterdam, February 17:

Top-seeded Roger Federer dispatched Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the ABN Amro.

Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand upset second-seeded Guillermo Coria 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 in the second round and Radek Stephanek beat defending champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.

In other first-round matches, fifth-seeded Joachim Johansson of Sweden wasted three match points before overcoming Yeu-tzuoo Wang of Taiwan 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, while Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia was eliminated by Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.

Also, Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland upset Sebastien Grosjean of France 7-6, 6-2. Hometown favourite Sjeng Schalken advanced by beating Andrei Pavel of the Czech Republic 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Diamond Games:

ANTWERP: Former world No 1 Kim Clijsters beat fifth-seeded Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-7, 6-1 on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the Diamond Games - her comeback tournament.

Clijsters won her last event here last year before a left wrist injury ruined much of her season. She showed no rustiness whatsoever during a thrilling match that took 2 hours, 13 minutes. Clijsters will face Venus Williams in the quarter-finals. Third-seeded Williams opened her quest for the $1.3 million gold-and-diamond trophy with a 6-3, 6-0 win over France’s Virginie Razzano. Seventh-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland beat qualifier Camille Pin of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in another second-round match.

South Cup:

MEMPHIS: Top-seeded Andy Roddick needed just an hour and 16 minutes to defeat Frenchman Arnaud Clement 6-3, 6-3 Wednesday in the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.

Second-seeded German Tommy Haas won his opening match with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jeff Salzenstein of the United States.

Austria’s Jurgen Melzer, the tournament’s No 7 seed, was eliminated after dropping a pair of tiebreakers 7-6, 7-6 to Wayne Arthurs of Australia.

Melzer, who injured his ankle last week in San Jose, was the only seeded player on the men’s side of the tournament to lose Wednesday. In the WTA Cellular South Cup, top-seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia and third-seeded American Meghann Shaughnessy advanced.

Zvonareva, the defending champion, defeated Severine Beltrame of France 7-6, 6-3, and Shaughnessy won 6-3, 6-2 over the Czech Republic’s Hana Sromova.