Associated Press

Dubai, March 3:

World No 1 Roger Federer repeated his Australian Open final victory against Marat Safin 7-6, 7-6 in the first round of the Dubai Open.

Eighth-seeded Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands overcame Sargis Sargsian of Armenia 6-3, 6-1, but two more seeds - No 2 Guillermo Coria and No 4 David Nalbandian, both of Argentina — were sent

packing, to make it five of eight who have lost their first matches.

Safin, who has won just once in four matches since the Australian Open, had his chances against Federer, whose first serve often let him down. But the Russian wild card won only two of the 10 break points that came his way.

Watched by a near capacity 5,000 crowd - unprecedented for a first round game in Dubai - Federer charged to 3-0 before Safin clawed his way back.

At 4-4, Safin let his first two break points slip away, and Federer rattled off a string of strong serves. In the tiebreak, Federer stormed to a 5-0 lead and closed the set with plenty to spare.

Safin was broken in the first game of the second set, and then gave up three more break points in the second game.

The high point of the match came with Federer serving for a place in the second round at 5-4. Safin won the first three points to take control, only for Federer to rally to deuce. Safin saved a match point before breaking to level.

The second tiebreak was far closer, with Safin going up 3-1. But Federer stepped up a gear, and won his first match since he lost in the quarter-finals at Rotterdam last month. Federer next meets Spain’s Tommy Robredo, who overcame Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkman 6-4, 6-4.

Earlier, second-seeded Coria came unstuck 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 against Russian Mikhail Youzhny, whom he beat in all three 2003 meetings, and Nalbandian saved two match points against Jarkko Nieminen, but the Finnish left-hander cruised through 6-3, 6-4.

Franklin Templeton

SCOTTSDALE: Martin Verkerk of the Netherlands led a charge of seeded players into the second round of the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic, beating Swiss qualifier Yves Allegro 6-3, 6-2.

The second-seeded Dutchman, one of two top 20 players in the draw, handily improved his match record to 8-4. Verkerk, a semi-finalist in Sydney in January, will face Cecil Mamiit next in his quest for his third 2004 quarter-final.

Top seeded Andy Roddick of the United States was two points away from victory over Dutchman John van Lottum when rain stopped play at 30-30 in the 12th game, forcing a postponement.

The US Open champion rallied from a loss of composure during the first play stoppage in his

first-round match at the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic. He won five of the next seven games to lead 6-5 in the second set.

Roddick, who won the first set 6-3, was in jeopardy of losing before an earlier rain delay. He

became incensed when umpire overruled a lineswoman who held that van Lottum’s return was long at break point in the second game of the second set.

No 3 Robby Ginepri routed countryman Tripp Phillips 6-2, 6-0 in a 67-minute match, No 4 Vincent Spadea beat 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson of Sweden 6-4, 6-4, and sixth-seeded James Blake advanced over Martin Vassallo Arguello of Italy 6-3, 6-1.

In other matches, Mamiit beat Jean-Rene Lisnard of France 6-0, 4-6, 6-3, Wayne Arthurs of Australia beat Alex Corretja of Spain 6-1, 6-4 and Alex Bogomolov Jr of the United States beat Gustavo Marcaccio of Argentina 6-3,`5-7, 6-4.