HAMBURG, Germany, 10 May 2005 — US second seed Andy Roddick and in-form Spaniard Rafael Nadal both headed out of the Hamburg Masters yesterday but world No. 1 Roger Federer eased concerns about his fitness with a convincing first round victory.

With the French Open only two weeks away, Roddick’s preparations suffered a fresh blow when he was beaten 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 by Chile’s Olympic champion Nicolas Massu in the first round.

Nadal pulled out of the tournament with a blistered racket hand suffered during his victory at the Rome Masters last week, the 18-year-old’s third successive title and one that took his winning streak to 17 matches.

Top seed Federer beat Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-3 on a chilly Rothenbaum center court, showing no sign of the foot ligament strain that caused him to miss last week’s Rome event.

“I was quite worried going into today’s match to be honest,” the Swiss told reporters. “I know what a good player he is and what potential he has for the future. But I coped well with it today.

“My feet are good, I don’t know if they’re one hundred percent yet, that will show after the tough, long matches,” added the Swiss, who is hoping to complete his grand slam collection by winning the French Open.

“But so far no problem, so it’s a good sign.” Nadal had been due to play Russian Igor Andreev in the first round today but after arriving in Germany he decided to pull out on medical advice, saying the blister he had sustained on his left hand in Rome had turned into a cut that needed time to heal.

“I’m not 100 percent and I only risk worsening the injury in my hand,” he told reporters.

Fellow Spaniard Carlos Moya, the seventh seed, also pulled out yesterday saying he was only “70 percent” fit.

British fifth seed Tim Henman was due to face German Lars Burgsmueller later. If he wins, Henman will play compatriot Greg Rusedski in round two.

Rusedski earned his first ATP Tour victory on clay for almost four years by beating German Philipp Petzschner, ranked 304 in the world, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.

Three times former French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil thrashed Romania’s Andrei Pavel 6-2 6-1 and another former Roland Garros champion, Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, beat Austrian Juergen Melzer 6-3, 7-5.

Swedish 11th seed Joachim Johansson exited 6-1, 6-4 at the hands of Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean and his namesake and compatriot Thomas Johansson also lost, beaten in three sets by Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela.

Dechy Bundled Out by Home Favorite Camerin

In Rome, Italy’s 65th-ranked Maria Elena Camerin scored the first upset of the $1.3-million Rome Masters yesterday, pacing a pair of compatriots to home victories with a knockout of tenth seed Nathalie Dechy 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Following on for the hat trick on opening day were 13th seed Silvia Farina Elia, who beat Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-4, 6-1 and Francesca Schiavone, untroubles by American Meghann Shaughnessy 7-5, 6-0.

Shaughnessy left with just two Rome wins from five appearances.

The 23-year-old Camerin, who played her early match at the Foro Italico in front of a small crowd of several hundred, is hoping that enthusiasm spilling over from the five-hour men’s weekend final won by Rafael Nadal might aid the women’s week.

“I hope we can get some of that momentum,” said a player who won only her third match of the season after a dozen defeats. “This was a great moral boost for me, I hope to use it in my next match.”

The first Italian to advance out of nine local starters will next play Colombian Catalina Castano, who defeated qualifier Tatiana Perebiynis of the Ukraine 6-3, 6-2.

Russian ninth seed Elena Bovina advanced over Mashona Washington 6-2, 6-2, with the American joining compatriot Shaughnessy in exiting. Maria Sharapova, who has a chance to overtake Lindsay Davenport on the No. 1 ranking if she can lift her first clay title this weekend, heads a field where the top eight seeds all get byes.

Defending champion Amelie Mauresmo, winner of two clay titles last spring, takes the second seeding. But injuries and a first-round defeat in Berlin have sapped the French player’s confidence.