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Mixed fortunes Top seed Norman cruises, Hewitt battles to survive
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Top-seeded Magnus Norman eased into the second round, but defending titlist Lleyton Hewitt had to fight for survival Tuesday in the first round of the Adidas International. Norman swept Andrei Pavel 6-3, 7-5, breaking the Romanian twice in the first set before coming out on top of an exchange of service breaks in the second. The world No. 4 had a couple of lapses, including a series of foot faults, but said it was just a matter of "waking up" after the Christmas break and a disappointed first-round loss at Chennai, India, last week. "If I can keep the momentum going here and gain some confidence, I know I can be dangerous," at next week's Australian Open, he said. Hewitt, the No. 2 seed, lost a first-set tiebreaker to Australian Davis Cup teammate Wayne Arthurs before producing a trademark cross-court forehand to save a break point at 5-5 in the second. The 19-year-old Hewitt covered the width of the baseline to make the shot at full stretch and then whipped an impossible cross-court winner to change the complexion of the match. Adding to the pressure, the point was played after the chair umpire had overruled to call a fault on a Hewitt second serve at 30-30. "I found myself at 5-all, breakpoint down ... (I) had to come up with a big backhand when he came in, then a very stretched forehand on the run," Hewitt recounted. "It is my better shot -- the passing shot -- so under pressure it was nice that it came off." He broke the big-serving Arthurs twice in the decider to clinch a 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-2 in 128 minutes. In other matches Tuesday, the seventh-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany ousted two-time Sydney International titlist Todd Martin 6-3, 6-2. Frenchman Cedric Pioline and Wayne Ferreira of South Africa were the two seeds to bow out of the men's draw. No. 8 seed Younes El Aynaoui of Morocco had been ousted Monday by Gianluca Pozzi. Pioline, the No. 4 seed, lost 7-6 (2), 6-2 to Jonas Bjorkman, slumping to a 0-4 career record against the Swede. "I made too many errors and didn't have my rhythm yet," he said. "I had four break points in one game and was too timid to take advantage of it." Roger Federer of Switzerland swept third-seeded Ferreira 6-3, 6-4 and No. 5 seed Arnaud Clement of France advanced when Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic retired at 6-1, 3-0 down. In the remaining men's match Tuesday, Spaniard Carlos Moya was set to play George Bastl of Switzerland. In the women's draw, defending titlist Amelie Mauresmo cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 win against Anne Kremer of Luxembourg, while No. 6 seed Anna Kournikova defeated fellow Russian Elena Bovina 6-4, 6-4. The top four seeds had a bye into the second round, with third-seeded Monica Seles opening with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Australian Nicole Pratt and Spaniard Conchita Martinez, the No. 4 seed, defeating Australia's Alicia Molik, Australia, 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3. Venus and Serena Williams, the Olympic and Wimbledon doubles champions, were scheduled to team later Tuesday in a first-round doubles match against Martina Hingis and Seles.
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