Roger Federer began his preparations for the only Grand Slam title he has yet to win by beating Greg Rusedski 6-3, 6-1 Tuesday in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters.
The top-ranked Swiss star, who has never won the French Open, is playing the clay-court tournament in Monaco for the first time since 2002.
"It's good to be back," Federer said after his 23rd straight match win of the year. "I feel I can make the transition quite comfortably on clay."
PHOTO: AP
Also Tuesday, third-seeded Tim Henman and No. 5 Carlos Moya were upset. Second-seeded Marat Safin advanced easily.
Federer has already won five titles this season and has a 33-1 record, his only loss coming against Safin in the Australian Open semifinals.
"Everyone is thinking, `Who in the world is going to stop him?'" Federer said. "But it's a tough season coming up."
"Anybody that's playing Roger right now is going to have a very hard time," Rusedski said.
Federer won at Indian Wells and Miami earlier this season. His best showing in Monte Carlo came in 2001, when he lost to Sebastien Grosjean in the quarterfinals.
Earlier, Australian Open champion Safin cruised into the second round by beating Lee Hyung-taik of South Korea 6-0, 7-5.
Safin, who plays Cyril Saulnier of France in the next round, needed just 20 minutes to win the first set but was pushed hard in the second.
Henman lost to Mariano Zabaleta of Argentina 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, and former French Open champion Moya lost to Mariano Puerta of Argentina 7-6 (10), 1-6, 6-3. Puerta won the Grand Prix Hassan II tournament in Casablanca on Sunday.
Second-seeded Elena Dementieva overcame early jitters to beat Alina Jidkova in the second round Tuesday at the Family Circle Cup.
Dementieva beat her fellow Russian 6-4, 6-4. She won her first match on clay this season despite double-faulting 11 times and converting just 38 percent of her first serves.
Dementieva, who withdrew from last week's tour stop at Amelia Island, Florida, played with her right thigh wrapped in an athletic bandage and rubbed the leg once after lunging for a ball in the second set. She said the leg was taped as a precaution against further injury.
Upset were sixth-seeded Russia's Vera Zvonareva, who lost to Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, and No. 12 Silvia Farina Elia of Italy, ousted by Croatia's Jelena Kostanic 6-4, 7-6 (6).
French No. 15 Mary Pierce continued her comeback with a 6-3, 6-2 win over America's Mashona Washington.
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