CINCINNATI, 17 August 2005 — A ring-rusty Roger Federer stuttered into the second round of the Cincinnati Masters on Monday, the top seed edging a 7-6, 7-5 victory over resurgent American James Blake.

Earlier, former US Open champion Andy Roddick recovered from his disappointing opening round defeat last week to beat Austrian Juergen Melzer 6-3, 6-4.

It was Federer’s first match since his Wimbledon victory at the beginning of July, and the world number one made a series of uncharacteristic errors but rallied from 3-0 down in the second set to clinch a hard-fought victory.

Fresh from a final appearance at Washington earlier this month, a confident Blake produced some spectacular winners and forced the only break point of the opening set in the ninth game.

Federer saved it though, and then took the tiebreak 7-3 to move ahead.

The Swiss has always struggled at this event, winning just one of his four previous matches in Cincinnati, and a lapse in concentration allowed Blake to lead 3-0.

As a deciding set loomed, Federer raised his level of play to break back to 3-3, and after saving three break points in the next game, he broke in the 11th game before serving out for victory.

“It was really what I expected,” Federer said. I was disappointed at times where I just couldn’t make all the returns I wanted to. It just shows how the eye is not quite there like it was maybe at Wimbledon, obviously, in the finals.

Federer, who will next meet German Nicolas Kiefer, took time off after Wimbledon to recuperate and Cincinnati will be his only tournament before he defends his US Open title.

“Mentally and physically I’m feeling good and it’s just about getting the time on my racquet.” A week ago, the fifth seeded Roddick lost to unseeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the first round of the Montreal Masters but the American was able to overpower Melzer in one hour 17 minutes.

Roddick, who defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero to win the US Open in 2003, now plays the Spaniard in round two.

Twelfth seed Tim Henman produced an improved performance to crush Nicolas Massu of Chile 6-2, 6-1. The Briton, who had lost both matches since his second-round defeat at Wimbledon in June, took advantage of a lacklustre display by Massu to set up a second-round tussle with Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina.

Argentine Guillermo Coria, the ninth seed, beat Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand 6-4, 6-2 but Croatian Ivan Ljubicic (14) and Czech Radek Stepanek (15) were beaten by Frenchmen Fabrice Santoro and Gael Monfils respectively. Andre Agassi, the defending champion, pulled out of the event to protect his troublesome back injury.

The US Open starts on Aug. 29.

Sugiyama Tops Kostanic to Open Rogers Cup

In Toronto, No. 17 Ai Sugiyama of Japan defeated Jelena Kostanic of Croatia 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 on Monday, one of only two seeded players to play on the opening day of the Rogers Cup.

Sugiyama only moved among the seeds on Sunday when No. 1 Maria Sharapova of Russia withdrew due to a strained chest muscle.

Also Monday, 16th-seeded Tatiana Golovin of France beat Croatia’s Karolina Sprem 6-4, 6-4, Laura Granville routed Italy’s Roberta Vinci 6-2, 6-1, and Japan’s Shinobu Asagoe defeated Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak 6-2, 6-2.

On Tuesday, one marquee match has fifth-seeded American Serena Williams facing Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France in the second round.

A nagging ankle injury has kept Williams sidelined since Wimbledon.

“I’m feeling OK,” Williams said of her injury. “I’m still not where I want to be at but I’m definitely feeling better than I was in the past. I’ve been working on some things in my game.”

Defending champion Amelie Mauresmo of France also opens her tournament Tuesday against Dally Randriantefy of Madagascar.