Federer, Roddick, Hewitt All Struggle at ATP Cincinnati

Tournament officials at the Masters Series-Cincinnati breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday after world No. 1 Roger Federer, marquee poster boy Andy Roddick and 2004 US Open Series winner Lleyton Hewitt all dropped the first set of their second-round matches before coming back for three-set wins.

Federer, in his second match back after a five-week layoff, fought off a crafty onslaught from German all-courter Nicolas Kiefer for an eventual 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.

"I was struggling in the beginning, obviously," Federer said, setting up a third-round meeting with Belgium scamperer Olivier Rochus. "I was a little disappointed about the start. I was looking for my rhythm and he keeps coming at you and he didn't really allow me to get the rhythm either. But to turn it around in the end, and not playing my best, is always a good feeling."

The No. 5 seed Roddick came back to defeat Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 6-2 in their first meeting since the 2003 US Open final, with the American throwing down 15 aces and never dropping serve.

"He actually probably played better tonight than he did when we played in the US Open final, and that was after beating a series of guys like (Lleyton) Hewitt and (Andre) Agassi," Roddick said. "I thought he was very good out there tonight. I was lucky to get out of that one."

The No. 3-seeded Hewitt rebounded from a horrible start, finally getting his unforced errors under control for a 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 win over hot-handed Brit Greg Rusedski.

Rusedski faltered at 4-4 in the third, failing to convert two break points, then going to the choke card by double-faulting on match point in an otherwise well-fought match.

"I think I got the tactics and the mix particularly well," Rusedski said. "I just made maybe one or two opportunities I should have maybe chipped and charged on...I thought I played my breakpoints really well. I had an angle drop volley. He came up with a flicking forehand and then another passing shot. I did the right things. Had I done that maybe in the second set on a few of the breakpoints, then I would have been off in two."

Other seeded winners Wednesday were (4) Marat Safin (d. (WC) Murray 6-1 in the third) and (6) Nikolay Davydenko (d. Mathieu).

Orchestrating upsets were Peruvian qualifier Luis Horna ousting (9) Guillermo Coria in straights, Chile's Fernando Gonzalez pounding (11) David Nalbandian into submission from a set down, Juan Ignacio Chela continuing the downward spiral of (12) Tim Henman in straights, and Croat Mario Ancic edging (16) Richard Gasquet in a second-set tiebreak.

Tough day for the Brits, posting an 0-3 record in exiting the event.

Eight other un-seeds advanced into the third round in the form of French wildcard Gael Monfils (d. Beck) and American wildcard Robby Ginepri (d. Ferrer), Russian Mikhail Youzhny (d. Berdych from a set down), Spanish former No. 1 Carlos Moya (d. (Q) Simon), Belgian Olivier Rochus (d. Santoro), Slovak Dominik Hrbaty (d. Soderling), and Argentina's Jose Acasuso (d. Robredo).

Scheduled for Thursday on the Cincy hardcourts are (4) Safin vs. Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty, Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic vs. (3) Hewitt, (5) Roddick vs. Juan Ignacio "The Spitting Snake" Chela, (1) Federer vs. Olivier "The Roach" Rochus, (WC) Gael "Force" Monfils vs. Youzhny, (WC) Robby "Baby Courier" Ginepri vs. Moya, (6) Davydenko vs. Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez, (Q) Luis "Me So" Horna vs. Acasuso, and in doubles (1) Bryan/Bryan vs. Wimbledon champs Huss/Moodie.