BEIJING, Aug 11: Top seeds Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic safely negotiated round one here on Monday but Britain’s Andy Murray fell victim to the Olympic tennis curse.Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer was also upset and there was heartbreak for India’s Sania Mirza, who retired from the women’s singles with a wrist injury.

Federer breezed past powerful Russian Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-2 into round two, joining Nadal who was taken the distance by 71st-ranked Italian Potito Starace.

Djokovic followed later 6-4, 6-4 against America’s Robby Ginepri in a bumper schedule of 65 matches after thunder storms wiped out most of day one.

The Williams sisters led a clutch of women’s seeds into the next round including Russians Dinara Safina and Vera Zvonareva and Alize Cornet of France, who progressed along with Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Zheng Jie upset 11th seed Agnes Szavay and Peng Shuai also kept the Chinese flag flying by beating Carla Suarez Navarro.

Taiwan’s 74th-ranked Lu Yen-Hsun pulled off the giant-killing act of the day when he downed sixth seed Murray 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer fell to Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic in another surprise result.

The Olympics has been a champions’ graveyard for the men with no top-five gold-medallist in modern times and a list of winners including Marc Rosset and Nicolas Massu.

Earlier Nadal, who replaces Federer as No 1 on Aug 18, was taken the distance before beating the 71st-ranked Starace 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.

The French Open and Wimbledon champion broke twice in the first set but was made to sweat when Starace hit back for 2-0 in the second.

But the 27-year-old’s inspired form deserted him in the decider as he netted at 2-3 for the initial break and again on Nadal’s first match point.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams was not happy about having to complete her 6-3, 6-1 win against Olga Govortsova on Monday after the rain forced an overnight delay.

Chile’s Massu, ranked 125, stayed in the hunt for his second shock singles gold while 10th seed Gilles Simon qualified alongside French team-mates Gael Monfils, Paul-Henri Mathieu and Michael Llodra, who beat 16th seed Radek Stepanek.

Stanislas Wawrinka, Nicolas Keifer and Mikhail Youzhny were the other seeds through along with Argentina’s former top-five player David Nalbandian.

Sania was tearful as she exited the singles competition with a painful right wrist just months after surgery. She will remain in the doubles with partner Sunitha Rao.

Sania was just the latest withdrawal after top seed Ana Ivanovic pulled out on Sunday with a painful thumb and 1996 champion Lindsay Davenport ditched the singles with a knee problem.

Newly crowned No 1 Jelena Jankovic is carrying a calf injury and Russian star Maria Sharapova, Amelie Mauresmo and Tatiana Golovin pulled out before the Games began.

Croatia’s chances have been hit by the withdrawals of Ivan Ljubicic, Ivo Karlovic and Mario Ancic.

Results (x denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

First round: Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x13) bt Jiri Vanek (CZE) 6-4, 6-1; David Nalbandian (ARG x7) bt Zeng Shaoxuan (CHN) 6-2, 6-1; Nicolas Massu (CHI) bt Steve Darcis (BEL) 6-4, 7-5; Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Potito Starace (ITA) 6-2, 3-6, 6-2; Gilles Simon (FRA x10) bt Robin Soderling (SWE) 6-4, 6-4; Olivier Rochus (BEL) bt Ivo Minar (CZE) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Thomas Johansson (SWE) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Victor Hanescu (ROM) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) bt Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2; Roger Federer (SUI x1) bt Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 6-4, 6-2; Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) bt Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) 7-5, 7-6 (7-2); Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Tommy Robredo (ESP) 6-4, 4-6, 8-6; Kevin Anderson (RSA) bt Komlavi Loglo (TOG) 6-3, 6-2; Nicolas Kiefer (GER x15) bt Max Mirnyi (BLR) 6-3, 6-1; Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x9) bt Frank Dancevic (CAN) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Marin Cilic (CRO) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-4, 6-7 (7-5), 6-3; Gael Monfils (FRA) bt Nicolas Almagro (ESP x11) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Janko Tipsarevic

(SRB) bt David Ferrer (ESP x5) 7-6 (10-8), 6-2; Rafael Arevalo (ESA) bt Lee Hyung-Taik (KOR) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Agustin Calleri (ARG) bt Devin Mullings (BAH) 6-1, 6-1; Dominik Hrbaty (SVK) bt Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2; Igor Andreev (RUS) bt Sam Querrey (US) 6-4, 6-4; Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) bt Andy Murray (GBR x6) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Novak

Djokovic (SRB x3) bt Robby Ginepri (US) 6-4, 6-4; Michael Llodra (FRA) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE x16) 4-6, 7-5 (7-5), 11-9; Rainer Schuettler (GER) bt Kei Nishikori (JPN) 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3.

Women’s singles

First round: Dinara Safina (RUS x6) bt Mara Santangelo (ITA) 6-3, 7-6 (7-1); Vera Zvonareva (RUS x9) bt Yan Zi (CHN) 6-2, 6-0; Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP) bt Alicia Molik (AUS) 6-1, 6-1; Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x10) bt Ai Sugiyama (JPN) 6-2, 7-5; Alize Cornet (FRA x15) bt Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 7-5, 7-6 (7-2); Serena Williams (USA x4) bt Olga Govortsova (BLR) 6-3, 6-1; Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x16) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 6-1, 7-5; Iveta Benesova (CZE) bt Sania Mirza (IND) 6-1, 2-1 – Sania retired; Venus Williams (US x7) bt Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 6-3, 6-2; Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x8) bt Chan Yung-Jan (TPE) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6); Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) bt Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5; Zheng Jie (CHN) bt Agnes Szavay (HUN x11) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5; Li Na (CHN) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x3) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Alona Bondarenko (UKR) bt Milagros Sequera (VEN) 3-6, 0-1 –

Sequera retired; Sybille Bammer (AUT) bt Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; Patty Schnyder (SUI x13) bt Jill Craybass (US) 6-3, 6-2.—AFP