MONTREAL: World No 1 Roger Federer fought off a surprise showing from Canadian outsider Frederic Niemeyer to advance 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 at the Montreal Masters on Tuesday.

In his first match since winning his record 15th Grand Slam title last month at Wimbledon, Federer outlasted the 487th-ranked Niemeyer, who is retiring at the end of the season. Niemeyer, 33, saved three match points on his own serve to hold for 4-5. But top seed Federer put an end to the dream a game later as he served it out, concluding with his 12th ace. Federer, who skipped the past five tour weeks, saved the only break point he faced .

Britain’s Andy Murray began his summer hardcourt season with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy as the Scotsman took his first step towards a possible move to the world no 2 ranking. Third-ranked Murray had a few niggles to iron out but was not at all dissatisfied with his showing in just over 90 minutes against the No 36 winner of last month’s Stuttgart clay title.

World No 4 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, the 2007 Montreal champion, began his campaign over Canadian Peter Polansky 6-4, 7-6 (8/6). Eighth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko, playing his first match on cement this summer, put out Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2) to join Murray in the last 16.

In the first round, veteran Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero beat injured Lleyton Hewitt 6-1, 6-4 as the Australian was hampered by a muscle tear he suffered last week in Washington against Juan Del Potro. Tommy Haas rallied past the huge serve of Ivo Karlovic, overcoming 19 aces in a 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 victory.

Cincinnati Open

CINCINNATI: The US third seed Venus Williams overwhelmed Belarus qualifier Olga Govortsova 6-2, 6-2 on Tuesday to breeze into the third round of Cincinnati Open.

Russian top seed Dinara Safina rallied to reach to the third round with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Italy’s Roberta Vinci. Safina’s next opponent will be either China’s Peng Shuai, who ousted Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 6-1, or Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who defeated Russian Vera Dushevina 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Russian sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted Czech Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/4). Second seed Serena Williams is on the opposite side of the draw from Safina and Venus, setting up the possibility of a finals showdown with either barely two weeks before the start of the US Open.