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Malisse sends a slow Hewitt home early

A sluggish Lleyton Hewitt lost his composure and his first-round match in the Cincinnati Masters, falling to Xavier Malisse 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

The Australian grew angry at himself and swiped his racket in frustration as Malisse took control early in the third set Tuesday and held on for his first victory over a top-10 player this year.

"I just didn't feel great out there today," said Hewitt, who has slipped to No. 6 in the world after being ranked No. 1 all last year. "I don't really know why."

Four seeded players lost their first-round matches Tuesday in the US$2.45 million tournament. Top-ranked Andre Agassi withdrew two days before it opened.

In the most dramatic match of the day, Wimbledon champion Roger Federer narrowly avoided a first-round upset, saving seven match points before beating Scott Draper in three sets.

Federer, ranked No. 2 behind Agassi, rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10) victory over a qualifier who has never been ranked higher than No. 42 in his career.

"I've improved coming from behind this year," Federer said.

Also advancing were second-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero, No. 7 Andy Roddick and No. 8 Rainer Schuettler. Among the losers were No. 9 Paradorn Srichaphan, No. 10 Sebastien Grosjean and No. 14 Gustavo Kuerten.

Roddick, who won his first Masters Series title in Montreal on Sunday, had little trouble beating qualifier Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-2. He's 25-2 since he lost in the first round at the French Open and hired Brad Gilbert as his coach.

Gilbert previously helped to turn Agassi into a consistent winner.

"Andre was in kind of the same position I am right now when they got together," said Roddick, 20. "People were saying, `Well, is he just going to go by the wayside, or is he going to step it up and become a great player?'"
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