Disappointment for Rusedski

Rusedski won the first set before slumping to defeat

 First round results from Rome

Greg Rusedski's hopes of progressing at the ATP Masters Series event proved short-lived when he bowed out in the first round in Rome.

Rusedski lost 4-6 7-6 6-2 to home favourite and wild card Stefano Galvani.

A win for the Briton could have set up a second round clash with Tim Henman, who faces Chilean Fernando Gonzalez in his opening singles match on Tuesday.

 Photo Gallery: see this story in pictures

"I thought that was probably one of the worst matches I've ever played," said Rusedski.

"I never really felt that I got my rhythm from the first ball to the last.

"He fought and played well and he deserved to win, but I felt my tennis wasn't very good."

Andre Agassi had an easy straight sets win

Rusedski broke Galvani in the ninth game of the first set to lead 5-4 and he held his nerve to take the set.

The Italian started the second set strongly. He led 4-1 at one stage before Rusedski battled back to eventually force a tie-break.

But Rusedski's luck ran out in the tiebreak which Galvani won easily 7-1 and from then on the Italian never looked back.

He claimed a crucial early break in the decider to go 2-1 up and Rusedski's frustration started to show he capitalised for the win

Andre Agassi made no mistake with an easy straight sets win over Germany's Nicolas Kiefer on his European clay-court season debut.

The seven-times Grand Slam champion broke Kiefer in the opening game of the match which was enough to win the first set.

Powerless

In the second set, Agassi claimed two consecutive breaks of serve to close out the match.

American teenager Andy Roddick also had an easy victory defeating Spain's Alex Calatrava 6-2 6-3 while tenth seed Sebastien Grosjean of France beat Morocco's Hicham Arazi 6-4 6-0.

Earlier, Russia's Marat Safin overpowered Spain's Alberto Martin 6-2 6-2.

The former US Open champion controlled the entire match, with some fierce ground strokes from inside the baseline that rendered his opponent powerless.

Fourteenth seed Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic got the better of Dutchman Sjeng Schalken 6-4 6-4 but there was no luck for 15th seed Guillermo Canas of Argentina, who lost 6-4 6-4 to Austria's Markus Hipfl.

In Monday's late games, top seed Lleyton Hewitt overpowered Jonas Bjorkman 6-2 6-3, and Ivan Ljubicic beat Frederico Luzzi 6-4 6-7 6-2.

---

ATP Masters series first round results:

(1) Lleyton Hewitt (USA) bt Jonas Bjorkman (Swe) 6-2 6-3
Ivan Ljubicic (Cro) bt Federico Luzzi (Ita) 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-2
Mark Philippoussis (Aus) beat Vince Spadea (Ita) 6-2 6-2
(13) Andy Roddick (USA) beat Alex Calatrava (Spa) 6-2 6-3
Markus Hipfl (Aut) beat (15) Guillermo Canas (Arg) 6-4 6-4
Stefano Galvani (Ita) beat Greg Rusedski (GB) 4-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-2
(9) Andre Agassi (US) beat Nicolas Kiefer (Ger) 6-3 6-2
David Nalbandian (Arg) beat Albert Portas (Spa) 6-3 5-7 6-3
Xavier Malisse (Bel) beat Jose Acasuso (Arg) 6-1 6-4
(10) Sebastien Grosjean (Fra) beat Hicham Arazi (Mor) 6-4 6-0
(6) Marat Safin (Rus) beat Alberto Martin (Spa) 6-2 6-2
(14) Jiri Novak (Cze Rep) beat Sjeng Schalken (Neth) 6-4 6-4

Back to top