Hewitt advances into Scottsdale second round

Reuters, Scottsdale, Arizona

World number one Lleyton Hewitt made an impressive return from a month-long layoff, defeating Spain's Fernando Vicente 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Scottsdale Classic on Tuesday.

Hewitt, who hadn't played since the Davis Cup against Britain four weeks ago, looked sharp in dispatching Vicente.

The 22-year-old Australian accepted a wild card entry to play at Scottsdale, where he won in 2000.

With Andre Agassi losing on Monday, he appears to have a clear path to the title this year as well.

Hewitt is 13-2 in this tournament.

Meanwhile, Giovanni Lapentti of Ecuador upset fourth-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand 7-6, 6-2.

Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina, the seventh seed, was also upset by Australia's Mark Philippoussis 7-6, 3-6, 6-1.

Philippoussis is 11-2 lifetime in Scottsdale and won here in 1997.

The other seeded players all beat qualifiers top advance to the second round.

German Rainer Schuettler beat Harel Levy of Israel 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, while Alex Corretja of Spain, the sixth seed, stopped Russian Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-2.

In Delray Beach, Florida, top seed Andy Roddick was forced to retire from his first round match with Mardy Fish at the International Tennis Championship on Tuesday after twisting his left ankle.

Roddick, who only returned to action only two weeks ago in Memphis after sitting out a month with a damaged wrist, was trailing 7-6, 4-3, 15-0 in the second when he suddenly turned his ankle attempting to run down a shot.

The runner-up here last year, Roddick had started brightly by powering his way to a 5-2, 40-love lead.

But Fish saved the three set points and rallied to force a tiebreak, beating his occasional doubles partner and friend 7-4 to claim the opening set and momentum.

Also making unexpected early exits were second seed Guillermo Coria of Argentina, fifth seeded Frenchman Arnaud Clement and number seven Stefan Koubek of Austria.

Playing in his first hard court event since losing to Andre Agassi in the fourth round of the Australian Open, Coria can now start to look forward to the claycourt campaign after falling 7- 5, 6-2 to Sargis Sargsian of Armenia.

Switzerland's Michel Kratochvil fashioned a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Clement to maintain his 100 percent record against the Frenchman with a third successive win while Koubek, the 2000 Delray champion, was swept aside by American qualifier Robert Kendrick 6-4, 6-4.