Houston, April 12:

Defending champion Andy Roddick raised his game in the second set and took an easy 6-3, 6-2 victory over Paul Capdeville of Chile on Tuesday in the first round of the US Men’s Clay Court Championship.

Roddick took charge in the fifth game of the second set. After a forehand error by Roddick put the score at deuce, Roddick hit consecutive drop shot winners to break Capdeville for a 3-2 lead.

Roddick won it at the first match point when Capdeville could not return a serve, boosting his record on clay in Houston to 24-2.

Roddick started the match by losing his serve but quickly recovered. With the score at 30-30, Roddick hit a net chord that bounced out of bounds and then sent a backhand wide to lose the opening game.

Roddick broke back in the second game on Capdeville’s forehand error and broke again in the fourth game, allowing Capdeville only one point for a 2-1 lead.

Roddick is looking for his first ATP tournament victory this year. Roddick has reached the clay court tournament finals five straight years with three titles, including last year’s 6-2, 6-2 victory over Sebastien Grosjean of France.

Family Circle Cup

CHARLESTON: Top-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne took the first step toward defending her Family Circle Cup title on Tuesday by beating Sybille Bammer of Austria 6-2, 6-3.

Henin-Hardenne also won the title in 2003 and has never lost in 12 matches at the tournament.

In her first clay-court match since her victory in the French Open final last year, Henin-Hardenne had six double-faults.

Also on Tuesday, third-seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland advanced to the third round with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Meilen Tu of the United States. In the other matches, seventh-seeded Dinara Safina of Russia beat countrywoman Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 7-5 to advance to the third round.

Catalina Castano of Colombia came back from 5-1 down to beat fifth-seeded Nicole Vaidisova 7-5 6-2. Castano lost five straight games but then won 10 in a row to go up 7-5, 4-0 before the 16-year-old Czech finally held serve.