Andy Roddick's defence of his Key Biscayne ATP Masters Series title was brief and bitter as the American retired from his opening match against Spain's Fernando Verdasco with a right wrist injury. Verdasco, who extended Roddick to three sets in the Masters Series event last week at Indian Wells, California, led 7-6 (11/9), 4-3 when Roddick called it quits here on Friday.
The second-seeded American had had the trainer on to tape the wrist earlier in the second set after squandering three set points in the first-set tiebreaker.
The two had traded breaks in the seventh and eighth games of the opening set to send it to the decider.
"It's disappointing," said Roddick, who said the initial diagnosis was a light sprain.
He said he felt something in the wrist as he was serving in the 11th game of the first set.
"I caught something, jammed it the wrong way," he said. "I knew it was uncomfortable right away. Sometimes you jar something and you hope it dissipates."
But the pain hindered him and Roddick said that even if he had managed to close out the first set he didn't think he had much of a chance to take the match.
Roddick, seeking his second title of the year here after a February win in San Jose, California, threw his racquet after double-faulting on the final point of the tiebreaker and said the frustration stemmed not only from his failure to capitalise on his chances but also from the knowledge that he couldn't play as he would like.
"It was probably a combination of both," he said. "I knew something wasn't right. I wasn't able to hit the shots I wanted to hit. I hit three doubles in the tiebreak. That's not characteristic."
Women's three-time defending champion Serena Williams, seeded third behind world number two Amelie Mauresmo of France and Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova, was slated to open her campaign with a second-round match against Vera Douchevina of Russia under the lights on Friday night.
Williams claimed her seventh Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.
The night session was to be anchored by men's Australian Open titlist Marat Safin of Russia. Safin, seeded third, was to face old friend Irakli Labadze of Georgia.
Since defeating Lleyton Hewitt in the Australian Open final, the mercurial Safin has had limited success. German Nicolas Kiefer ousted him in the first round in Dubai and he was upset in straight sets by American Taylor Dent in the third round at Indian Wells.
Another reigning Grand Slam champion closed out the day session on stadium court as Russia's Sharapova took on Greece's Eleni Daniilidou for a third-round berth.
Men's fifth seed Carlos Moya of Spain survived three match points in the second set to reach the third round with a 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8/6) victory over American James Blake.
"It was very exciting," said Moya, who had to pull out all the stops as he served to save the match in the 10th game of the second set.
"I was a little inconsistent, but when it came to the important points, I think I played well." Women's eighth seed Venus Williams also advanced to the third round, dispatching Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-2, 6-0.
COLLATED RESULTS (x denotes seed):
Men's (2nd round}: Carlos Moya (ESP x5) bt James Blake (USA) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8/6); Jiri Novak (CZE) bt Kevin Kim (USA) 6-1, 6-2; Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR) bt Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 6-1, 6-4; Thomas Johansson (SWE) bt Greg Rusedski (GBR) 6-3, 6-4 ; Gael Monfils (FRA) bt Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x14) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; Tommy Robredo (ESP x12) bt Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) 6-4, 6-0; Igor Andree (RUS) bt Andrei Pavel (ROM) 6-2, 6-1; Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Andy Roddick (USA x2) 7-6 (11/9), 4-3, ret; (wrist injury); Vincent Spadea (USA) bt Robby Ginepri (USA) 6-3, 6-4; Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x13) bt Alberto Martin (ESP) 6-3, 6-3; Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) bt Guillermo Canas (ARG x11) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4; David Ferrer (ESP) bt Xavier Malisse (BEL) 3-6, 5-5, def (profanity); Dominik Hrbaty (SVK) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 6-3, 6-4; David Nalbandian (ARG x8) bt Jose Acasuso (ARG) 6-3, 6-3; Rafael Nadal (ESP) bt Rainer Schuettler (GER) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5); Marat Safin (RUS x3) bt Irakli Labadze (GEO) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/5).
Women's (2nd round): Elena Likhovtseva (RUS x15) bt Denisa Chladkova (CZE) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2; Gisela Dulko (ARG) bt Kristina Brandi (PUR) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3; Shahar Peer (ISR) bt Marion Bartoli (FRA) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5; Catalina Castano (COL) bt Paola Suarez (ARG) 7-5, 6-3; Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) bt Vera Zvonareva (RUS x9) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1; Venus Williams (USA x8) bt Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 6-2, 6-0; Fabiola Zuluaga (COL) bt Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 7-5, 6-1; Shinobu Asagoe (JPN) bt Alina Jidkova (RUS) 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) Patty Schnyder (SUI x11) bt Kveta Peschke (CZE) 6-4, 6-1; Ai Sugiyama (JPN) bt Jill Craybas (USA) 7-5, 6-4; Justine Henin Hardenne (BEL) bt Abigail Spears (USA) 6-4, 6-3; Francesca Schiavone (ITA x14) bt Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/2); Maria Sharapova (RUS x2) bt Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 6-0, 6-4; Marisa Irvin (USA) bt Dinara Safina (RUS) 7-6 (7/4), 0-6, 6-4; Alicia Molik (AUS x7) bt Nicole Pratt (AUS) 6-2, 6-3; Serena Williams (USA x3) bt Vera Douchevina (RUS) 6-3, 6-0.
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