MELBOURNE, Jan 19: Roger Federer made heavy weather of little-known Andreas Seppi at the Australian Open on Monday before joining Jelena Jankovic and Novak Djokovic in the second round.

The Swiss great, who is one Grand Slam shy of Pete Sampras’s record of 14, looked to be cruising after taking the first set 6-1 before his Italian opponent took the second to a tense tie-breaker, only to lose it 7-4.

Federer gritted his teeth to get through the third set 7-5 but it was a less than convincing victory.

“He was a very tough customer,” Federer said. “But I think I played well, I had to as he’s a quality player.”

Djokovic, the third seed, saw off a late revival by Italian qualifier Andrea Stoppini to win 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.

The Serb, who won his maiden Grand Slam here last year, was relieved to get off to a winning start after an indifferent month, with two defeats already.

He admitted he was feeling the pressure of being the defending champion.

Earlier, under blazing sun, world number one Jankovic brushed aside Yvonne Meusburger 6-1, 6-3 in impressive fashion as she looks for a maiden Grand Slam title to silence the critics who question her ranking.

A key rival here, Russia’s Dinara Safina, wasted little time in disposing of compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva in straight sets, but French Open champion Ana Ivanovic struggled before downing Germany’s Julia Goerges 7-5, 6-3.

Jankovic said her feet were burning as temperatures soared at Melbourne Park, but managed to keep her cool as she benefited from a brutal off-season training regime.

Other women progressing included Russian seventh seed Vera Zvonareva, tenth seed Nadia Petrova, also from Russia, and French 15th seed Alize Cornet.

The Williams sisters have emerged as the bookmakers’ favourites and they get their tournaments underway on Tuesday, with Serena searching for her fourth Australian crown and Venus her first.

Meanwhile, men’s seventh seed Andy Roddick was running hot as he crushed Swedish qualifier Bjorn Rehnquist 6-0, 6-2, 6-2.

The American, a three-time semi-finalist here, raced through his match and said adding another Grand Slam title to his 2003 US Open was his key motivation.

“(Winning Slams) is the ultimate goal and I’m excited to start here,” he said.

Spain’s David Ferrer, the 11th seed, joined him in the next round after surviving a marathon five-setter with journeyman Denis Gremelmayr, outlasting the German in just over four hours.

Argentinian hotshot Juan Martin Del Potro routed Germany’s Mischa Zverev while former runner-up Marcos Baghdatis also progressed.

Keeping the home fans happy, Australia’s Bernard Tomic became the youngest male winner here in history when he beat Italy’s Potito Starace aged just 16 years and 90 days.

Results (first round):

Men’s singles:

Florian Mayer (GER) bt Lamine Ouahab (ALG) 6-2, 6-1, 6-2; Brian Dabul (ARG) bt Philipp Petzschner (GER) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4; Andy Roddick (USA x7) bt Bjorn Rehnquist (SWE) 6-0, 6-2, 6-2; Tomas

Berdych (CZE x20) bt Robby Ginepri (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; Xavier Malisse (BEL) bt Michael Llodra (FRA) 7-6 (10/8), 6-1, 6-1; Dominik Hrbaty (SVK) bt John Isner (USA) 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-2, 7-5; Robin Soderling (SWE x16) bt Robert Kendrick (USA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5; Tommy Robredo (ESP x21) bt Bobby Reynolds (USA) 6-2, 7-5, 6-1; Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG x8) bt Mischa Zverev (GER) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2; David Ferrer (ESP x11) bt Denis Gremelmayr (GER) 6-1, 6-7 (6/8), 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4; Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x15) bt Ivo Minar (CZE) 6-1, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (11/9); Novak Djokovic (SRB x3) bt Andrea Stoppini (ITA) 6-2, 6-3, 7-5; Bernard Tomic (AUS) bt Potito Starace (ITA) 7-6 (7/5), 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (8/6); Mardy Fish (USA x23) bt Samuel Groth (AUS) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 7-5, 6-0; Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt Alberto Martin (ESP) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4; Brydan Klein (AUS) bt Bjorn Phau (GER) 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Gilles Muller (LUX) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP x27) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 4-6, 16-14; Jeremy Chardy (FRA) bt Marcos Daniel (BRA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-1; Marat Safin (RUS x26) bt Ivan Navarro (ESP) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4; Evgeny Korolev (RUS) bt Carlos Moya (ESP) 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7); Amer Delic (USA) bt Taylor Dent (USA) 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA x28) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 6-2, 4-1 retired; Lu Yen-Hsun

(TPE) bt Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4; Marin Cilic (CRO x19) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3; Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) bt Agustin Calleri (ARG) 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-0; Simone Bolelli (ITA) bt Kristof Vliegen (BEL) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3), 7-5; Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x32) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 6-2; Fabrice Santoro (FRA) bt Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2; Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) bt Oscar Hernandez (ESP) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0; David Nalbandian (ARG x10) bt Marc Gicquel (FRA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) 7-5.

Women’s singles:

Vera Zvonareva (RUS x7) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 7-6 (7/2), 6-0; Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Karolina Sprem (CRO) 6-0, 6-4; Patricia Mayr (AUT) bt Julia Schruff (GER) 6-4, 6-1; Alize Cornet (FRA x15) bt Mariya Koryttseva (UKR) 6-3, 6-4; Ana Ivanovic (SRB x5) bt Julia Goerges (GER) 7-5, 6-3; Andrea Petkovic (GER) bt Kathrin Woerle (GER) 5-7, 7-6 (7/0), 4-0 ret; Alberta Brianti (ITA) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-4, 6-2; Kaia Kanepi (EST x25) bt Kimoko Date Krumm (JPN) 6-4, 4-6, 8-6; Jelena Jankovic (SRB x1) bt Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 6-1, 6-3; Nathalie Dechy (FRA) bt Viktoriya Kutuzova (UKR) 6-3, 6-0; Marion Bartoli (FRA x16) bt Melanie South (GBR) 6-2, 6-1; Monica Niculescu (ROM) bt Katie

O’Brien (GBR) 6-4, 6-4; Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) bt Rossana De Los Rios (PAR) 6-3, 6-2; Ai Sugiyama (JPN x26) bt Stephanie Dubois (CAN) 6-0, 7-6 (7/5); Edina Gallovits (ROM) bt Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) bt Agnes Szavay (HUN x23) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 6-3, 6-4; Jelena Dokic (AUS) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x11) bt Shahar Peer (ISR) 6-3, 6-2; Karin Knapp (ITA) bt Monika Wejnert (AUS) 7-6 (8/6), 6-4; Alisa Kleybanova (RUS x29) bt Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 7-5, 7-5; Sania Mirza (IND) bt Marta Domachowska (POL) 6-1, 6-4; Sara Errani (ITA) bt Maria Kirilenko (RUS x27) 6-0, 6-4; Lucie Safarova (CZE) bt Sybille Bammer (AUT x24) 6-3, 6-1; Dinara Safina (RUS x3) bt Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) 6-3, 6-4; Nadia Petrova (RUS x10) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 6-3, 7-6 (7/3); Anna Chakvetadze (RUS x17) bt Anne Keothavong (GBR) 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1; Mathilde Johansson (FRA) bt Jill Craybas (USA) 6-2, 1-6, 7-5; Marina Erakovic (NZL) bt Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 6-4, 7-5; Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) bt Mariana Duque Marino (COL) 6-3, 6-2; Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) bt Aravane Rezai (FRA) 1-6, 7-5, 6-4; Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x19) bt Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 7-6 (13/11), 6-4.— AFP