New York, Aug. 31: Sania Mirza won her fourth match on the trot to cruise to the second round of US Open but it was an early exit for Somdev Devvarman, who lost his opening round in the men’s singles event.

Sania, who entered the women’s singles as a qualifier, scored an easy 6-3, 6-2 win over fellow qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal in the first-round match.

Somdev, who earned a direct entry into a Grand Slam for the first time, went down fighting against the South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 3-6, 4-6, 3-6 in his first round in the men’s singles event.

The defeat means that Somdev has not gone beyond the first round in Grand Slams this season.

He had failed to qualify for the Australian Open and the Wimbledon and lost in the first round of the French Open.

A second round appearance at the US Open last year remains his best performance in the Slams.

It took Sania one hour and 17 minutes to dispatch her rival and set up a second round clash with Russian 20th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

“For me, the fact that I am still capable of going on court and winning four matches in a row gives me a lot of confidence that I still have the ability,” Sania said.

Meanwhile in men’s singles, Roger Federer, seeking to regain the crown he lost to Juan Martin del Potro last year after five consecutive titles, strolled to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Brian Dabul of Argentina in the featured night match on the Arthur Ashe Centre Court.

The Swiss star, who won just his second tournament of the year in Cincinnati eight days ago, was never in trouble against the former top junior as he got back to winning ways in the tournament he totally dominated from 2004 until last year’s upset in the final.

“I’ve never lost a night session match here and feel very much at home. Been in six straight finals and would like to be there again this year, but the path is long and rough,” he said.

Joining him in the second round was potential quarter-final opponent Robin Soderling, but he needed five sets to see off unheralded Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 5-7, 6-4

On a hot and sunny opening day there were wins also for sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia — a 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 winner over Michael Russell of the United States — and ninth seed and 2003 champion Andy Roddick, who saw off Stephane Robert of France 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on the American’s 28th birthday.

But Leyton Hewitt, at 29, found the shot-making of unpredictable Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu too much to cope with as he went down 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1.

Clijsters, who supplied one of the sports stories of the year here 12 months ago when she stepped out of retirement and motherhood to win her second US Open title, defeated Greta Arn of Hungary 6-0, 7-5.

She took the first set in just 18 minutes, but needed to fight back after going 0-4 down in the second.

Clijsters said that she felt under no extra pressure to repeat her outstanding play of last year. There was a reasonably comfortable winning start for top American hope Venus Williams. But there were signs in her 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Italy’s Roberta Vinci.

Key results

Men 1st rd: Marin Cilic (CRO x11) v Illya Marchenko (UKR) 7-5, 6-3, 6-1; Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x6) bt Michael Russell (USA) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3; Andy Roddick (USA x9) bt Stephane Robert (FRA) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; Kevin Anderson (RSA) bt Somdev Devvarman (IND) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS x32) 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1;Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Brian Dabul (ARG) 6-1, 6-4, 6-2
Women 1st round: Kim Clijsters (BEL x2) bt Greta Arn (HUN) 6-0, 7-5; Sania Mirza (IND) bt Michelle Larcher de Brito (POR) 6-3, 6-2; Samantha Stosur (AUS x5) bt Elena Vesnina (RUS) 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-1; Ana Ivanovic (SRB) bt Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-3, 6-2; Venus Williams (USA x3) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA) 6-4, 6-1

Pic Caption:
Sania Mirza en route to her 6-3, 6-2 win over Michelle Larcher De Brito of Portugal in their US Open first round match in New York on Monday. — PTI