Federer begins clay-court season in winning style
Updated: 2008-04-17 10:07
|
|
The satisfied Swiss finished his afternoon in two hours with a 17th ace.
Rochus, who counts Federer as a friend after the pair grew up on court together a decade and a half ago, said he may be facing surgery on his right shoulder for inflammation.
"It was bothering me, but I served good," said the Belgian ranked No 141.
"But Roger started making less errors and lifted his game.
"I knew when I trailed 5-2 in the second set that it would be tough. I've know Roger for 14 years, it's always an honor to play against him."
Federer lost the first set but quickly got a grip on his game, guided by the coach he hooked up with only a few days ago under an arrangement being tested this week but with scope for extension through the clay season and possibly beyond.
Second seed and former champion Nikolay Davydenko was untroubled after arriving from a Davis Cup win in Moscow, dispatching Austrian Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-1 to ease into the second round.
Davydenko won the 2003 title and played the final two years ago but has also exited three times in the first round at the Estadio Nacional.
Portugal's Rui Machado surprised ailing third seed Ivo Karlovic, advancing to a surprise win as the Croatian pulled out with a knee injury trailing 6-4, 1-0.
In women's play, top-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta defeated Yvonne Meusburger 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 while No 2 Maria Kirilenko faced a battle before stopping Swiss teenager Sandra Vogele 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-1.
|
||
|
||
|
|
|
|