Nadal leads big guns to opening wins at Open

The six-time Grand Slam champion is working his way back to full fitness after injuries blighted his last season.

MELBOURNE, January 18, 2010 (AFP) - Spanish second seed Rafael Nadal successfully launched his Australian Open title defence with a straight sets victory over Australian Peter Luczak on Monday.

Andy Murray and Andy Roddick also reeled off straight set wins on a rain-interrupted opening day, while US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, troubled by a wrist injury, needed four sets to progress.

Nadal encountered early resistance before racing away to a 7-6 (7/0), 6-1, 6-4 victory over the 78th-ranked Luczak in the night match on Rod Laver Arena.

The six-time Grand Slam champion, who is working his way back to full fitness after injuries blighted his last season, will next play either Argentina's Leonardo Mayer or Slovakia's Lukas Lacko.

A potential quarter-final looms against Scotland's Murray.

Nadal, who beat Roger Federer in a gripping five-set final here last year, has not claimed a title since winning on the Barcelona clay last April.

Murray, the fifth seed, was in imperial form as he breezed through against qualifier Kevin Anderson.

Fancied to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Fred Perry in 1936, he destroyed the South African world number 148 in just 97 minutes, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2.

He will face either France's Marc Gicquel or Italy's Simone Bolelli in the second round.

"I could have served better," he said. "It was a good start, he's a tough player.

"It's good to get the match out of the way because it's a long day for a lot of the players because of the weather outside," he said.

Del Potro, playing with a wrist injury, needed three hours to subdue American Michael Russell in four sets.

The Argentine fourth seed won 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 under a closed roof on the Hisense Arena.

Del Potro, who beat Federer in US Open final for his breakthrough Grand Slam title last September, will now play either American James Blake or Frenchman Arnaud Clement on Wednesday.

The Argentine giant said he still feels some discomfort from the wrist injury which forced him to withdraw from last week's Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament.

"I don't feel a hundred percent, but I am feel better than yesterday, and I hope to be better for Wednesday in my next match," he said.

Seventh seed Roddick took a heavy tumble on his way to a straight sets win.

The American, who missed the end of last season after injuring his left knee at the Shanghai Masters in October, collided with a line judge during his 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker.

He fell over the leg of the linesman deep at the back of the court as he scurried to make a volley in the sixth game of the opening set.

For a moment he feared another injury mishap after just fighting his way back to full fitness.

"I kind of pinched it (knee) a little bit," Roddick said. "I promise you that first step afterwards was a relief. I definitely don't want to go doing that a whole lot."

He will play either Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia or Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in the next round.

Elsewhere, former finalist Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, seeded 11, downed Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

Croatia's 24th seed Ivan Ljubicic went through in straight sets at the expense of 16-year-old Australian wildcard Jason Kubler.

rsm/mp