Nadal Ousted; Safin, Hewitt Advance at Cincinnati Masters

The 19-year-old Berdych lost the first set before hanging on for a 6-7(4), 6-2, 7-6(3) win over the No. 2-seeded Spaniard, slapping 70 winners to 41 for Nadal.

Berdych saved three match points on serve in the third set, forcing a tiebreak which saw a tired Nadal toss in two double faults.

The loss ended Nadal's 16-match winning streak. Those familiar with the Czech teen's explosive game saw trouble when the Cincy draw came out, as did Nadal.

"Yes, I think I don't have good luck in the draw," Nadal said. "I say that (when I saw the draw) in Montreal because today I was play against Tomas Berdych, so I know he's very good player...I am little bit tired. I don't have the same explosion when I run. So for that, and because for -- because Tomas Berdych play very, very good match."

Berdych reversed the result of the final the two played in Bastad after Wimbledon this year.

"The serve is one of my best shots, so I have to make my style of the tennis on the serve and then not to play long rallies like Rafael is doing," Berdych said of his first-strike style. "So I need to play something different than he's like, and I think I make it today."

Other seeded winners Tuesday were (3) Lleyton Hewitt (d. Andreev), (4) Marat Safin (d. (Q) Hernych), and (6) Nikolay Davydenko (d. Grosjean).

Three other Grand Slam finalists/winners were sent home early Tuesday in (8) Gaston Gaudio (l. to Robredo in three), (10) Mariano Puerto (l. to (WC) Ginepri), and (13) Thomas Johansson (l. to Hrbaty).

"I'm giving 110 percent day in, day out," said the heat-tested Ginepri after sending Puerta home. "I know I can beat these guys, it's just a matter of time and confidence and playing up to my capabilities."

Other un-seeds into the second round were Frenchmen Paul-Henri Mathieu (d. Haas 6-1 in the third) and qualifier Gilles Simon (d. Spadea from a set down), Brits Greg Rusedski (d. (Q) Tursunov from a set down) and wildcard Andy Murray (d. Dent in two tiebreaks), Spaniards Carlos Moya (d. (LL) Malisse) and Dave Ferrer (d. (Q) Moodie), Swede Robin Soderling (d. Mirnyi), and Argentine Jose Acasuso (d. El Aynaoui).

"I like playing against serve-and-volleyers because returning is one of my best things that I do on the court," said Murray after beating Dent. "So playing against him, it kind of suits me a bit more than him playing against me."

Scheduled for Wednesday in Cincy are "Grinning" Greg Rusedski vs. (3) Hewitt, (1) Federer vs. Kiefer, Youzhny vs. Berdych, (5) Roddick vs. Ferrero in a battle of former No. 1s, (WC) Gael "Force" Monfils vs. Beck, (16) Gasquet vs. Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic, (4) Safin vs. (WC) Murray, Juan Ignacio "The Spitting Snake" Chela vs. (12) Henman, (WC) Robby "Baby Courier" Ginepri vs. Ferrer, Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez vs. (11) Nalbandian, (9) Guillermo "El Mago" Coria vs. (Q) Luis "Me So" Horna, (6) Davydenko vs. Mathieu, (Q) Simon vs. Moya, Olivier "The Roach" Rochus vs. Fabrice "The Original Magician" Santoro, Soderling vs. Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty, and Acasuso vs. Robredo.