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| Roger Federer 225 w |
TORONTO (AP) -- Playing for the first time since meeting in the Wimbledon final, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal cruised to straight set victories Tuesday in the first round of the Rogers Cup.
Federer eliminated Paul-Henri Mathieu, a semifinalist last year, 6-3, 6-4, while second-seeded Nadal eased past Olympic champion Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-2.
Federer defeated Nadal a month ago at Wimbledon for his eighth Grand Slam title and fourth straight at the All England Club.
Federer hit 14 aces against Mathieu and broke him once in each set without offering a break point. He then walked off with a piece of cake brought on court to celebrate his 25th birthday.
"Everything went well, especially my serve," Federer said. "My footwork could do with a little work."
Nadal broke Massu twice in the last three games.
"I played a normal match, a simple match, it's very good for my confidence after a month off," Nadal said.
He'll next face South Korean qualifier Lee Hyung-taik, who beat Colombian qualifier Alejandro Falla 6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-1. Federer will meet another Frenchman, Sebastien Grosjean.
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| Rafael Nadal 225 w |
Lleyton Hewitt, who has never made it past the tournament's third round, struggled to beat Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.
Sixth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko, who won his second clay title this year on Sunday in Poland, lost to Xavier Malisse of Belgium 6-3, 7-5. Malisse, twice a finalist on hardcourts this year, broke the Russian three times.
Tommy Robredo won the last four games to oust 2000 champ Marat Safin 7-5, 5-7, 6-2.
British teen Andy Murray, runner-up in Washington last week, dug out a 6-2, 7-6 (6) win over 12th-seeded David Ferrer of Spain.
American qualifier Kevin Kim rallied past countryman and 17th-seeded Robby Ginepri 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, converting all three of his break points. Ginepri was seeded on Tuesday after No. 8 Radek Stepanek withdrew with an upper back strain.
Germany's Denis Gremelmayr replaced Stepanek in the draw and defeated Belgium's Kristof Vliegen 7-6 (2), 6-2.
Dmitry Tursunov, the Los Angeles runner-up and Washington semifinalist, topped Italy's Daniele Bracciali 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; 14th-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland beat Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-4, 7-5; and Spaniard Fernando Verdasco beat American qualifier Rajeev Ram 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Arnaud Clement, who won his second title of the year in Washington on Sunday, opened with a 6-2, 6-1 downing of Alberto Martin of Spain, and meets fourth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic in the second round.
Also, former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero beat American Paul Goldstein 7-5, 6-2; 16th-seeded Tommy Haas, twice a Rogers Cup semifinalist, beat Max Mirnyi 6-3, 6-3; and Czech Jan Hernych downed France's Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 6-3.