The top seed Tim Henman overcame storm interruptions to knock Australian Richard Fromberg out of the Australian hardcourt championship in Adelaide yesterday.
The British number one prevailed 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-0 to win the opening round match.
Henman, who captured his first professional title in Sydney in 1997, overcame a lapse in concentration during the second set to oust Fromberg.
The match was interrupted several times because of storms before Henman raced away with the deciding set.
Henman was joined in the second round by Denmark's Kenneth Carlsen, who eliminated Zimbabwe's Wayne Black, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3-7), 6-0.
Black was a late replacement when Germany's Nicolas Keifer withdrew because of a shoulder injury and gave Carlsen a real fright until tiring in the third set.
Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela and Chile's Nicolas Massu advanced in straight sets, along with Dutch fifth seed Sjeng Schalken.
Mark Philippoussis, making a comeback following knee surgery last March, led Frenchman Julien Boutter 6-3, 1-0 before rain stopped their night match.
The match will be completed today, to be followed by the Pete Sampras-Todd Martin encounter, which was also delayed because of the weather.
Meanwhile, in Auckland, Anna Kournikova took the first step in putting a disappointing 2001 behind her with victory in the first round of the ASB Bank Classic.
The Russian (20), who missed most of last year with a foot injury, defeated Cara Black of Zimbabwe 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 to set up a clash with American Amy Frazier today.
Kournikova said: "I'm pleased that I fought so hard after being down 1-4 in the first set and down again in the tie-break."
Kournikova played just nine tournaments last year after suffering a left foot stress fracture in March.
In yesterday's other games, second seed Henrieta Nagyova of Slovakia defeated Kveta Hrdlickova of the Czech Republic, and fifth seed Tatiana Panova of Russia overcame Seda Noorlander of the Netherlands.
Top seed Angeles Montolio of Spain was shocked by Russian Alina Jidkova, while fourth-seeded Conchita Martinez was ousted by Kristina Brandi.
