Seeded players prosper in Adelaide
ADELAIDE, Australia -- Frenchman Arnaud Clement and Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti continued the perfect run of seeded players into the second round at the rain-hit Australian hardcourt tennis championships Tuesday.
Eighth-seeded Lapentti beat Georgia's Irakli Labadze 7-5, 6-1 in the opening match on center court before third-seeded Clement beat Romania's Victor Hanescu 6-3, 6-2 in Adelaide.
Six of the eight seeded men have won their first-round matches, with the other two seeds yet to play.
Top-seeded South African Wayne Ferreira, due to play Australian wildcard Todd Reid, was held up by the weather and fourth-seeded American Robby Ginepri was also frustrated.
Also winning first-round matches Tuesday were Italy's Davide Sanguinetti, who took 42 minutes to beat German qualifier Daniel Elsner 6-1, 6-1, and Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty, who defeated Frenchman Julien Benneteau 6-1, 6-4.
Britain's Greg Rusedski made a positive start in his return after four months out of the game with a back injury, leading Swiss player Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 3-1 when rain stopped play Tuesday afternoon.
Veteran Ferreira was scheduled to play Australian wildcard Todd Reid on Tuesday night, weather permitting.
