Defending champion Andre Agassi followed Russians,
Marat Safin and Anna Kournikova, into the second round of the Australian Open today.
American Chanda Rubin was the only seed to fall on the opening day in Melbourne, beaten in straight sets by Slovakian qualifier Janette Husarova.
Agassi swept past Jiri Vanek of Slovakia 6-0, 7-5, 6-3 but Safin struggled to beat Spaniard Galo Blanco 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).
Kournikova dispatched Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 7-5 while Monica Seles had an easy day with rival Miroslava Vavrinec of Switzerland retiring after only five minutes through injury.
In other men's action, eighth seeded Tim Henman ovecame Moroccan Hicham Arazi to set up an intriguing second round tie against Nicolas Lapentti, who had to dig deep before squeezing past South Korea's Lee Hyung-Taik 8-6 in the fifth set.
Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero, the ninth seed, Australia's Pat Rafter (12) and France's Cedric Pioline (13) also advanced. Seles and Kournikova were joined in the second round by Conchita Martinez (5) and France's Sandrine Testud (14).
AFP
