Former world number one Carlos Moya of Spain booked a second-round shot at his sensational young compatriot Rafael Nadal here on Wednesday at the 6.9 million-dollar WTA and ATP Masters Series Tournament.
Moya, the 1998 French Open champion, defeated Romanian Victor Hanescu 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 to line up the clash with the reigning Roland Garros title holder, 19-year-old Nadal.
Nadal ranked No 2 in the world, is seeded second in Miami, behind world number one Roger Federer of Switzerland. The two met in the final here last year, when Federer rallied from two sets down to triumph.
Nadal who stretched his career record against Federer to 3-1 with a victory over him in the final at Dubai, couldn't make it to a re-match at the Indian Wells Masters Series last week. He bowed out in the semi-finals to American James Blake, who fell to Federer in straight sets in the final on Sunday.
The top 32 men and women have first round byes, but the opening day was enlivened by the unveiling of instant replay to challenge line calls.
American Jamea Jackson created a little slice of tennis history when she became the first player ever to use the electronic technology to challenge a call.
Jackson used up one of her two allowed challenges on the opening point of the second set of her first round match against compatriot Ashley Harkleroad, after seeing a forehand called out.
The challenge was immediately referred to another match official, who after studying replays flashed a close-up of Jackson's shot and the word 'OUT!' onto a large screen above the court, confirming the original call.
Line-call technology is being at the Miami tournament for the first time in the history of the WTA and ATP tours.
The women's field is headed by Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo of France, who regained the world number one ranking on Monday. Belgian Kim Clijsters, who won here last year as an unseeded player, returns to defend her title as the second seed, after being sidelined by a sprained right ankle suffered in the Australian Open semi-finals.
Mauresmo will face Samantha Stosur in the second round after the Australian defeated Dutch wild card Brenda Schultz-McCarthy 6-3, 6-3.
Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne is the third seed, followed by Maria Sharapova, a finalist here last year who routed Elena Dementieva in an all-Russian final at Indian Wells on Saturday.
Dementieva is the sixth seed, while 1997 and 2000 champion Martina Hingis pf Switzerland is seeded 24th. Henin-Hardenne will face Meghann Shaughnessy in the second round after the American rallied to beat Italian Mara Santangelo 2-6, 7-5, 6-4. Hingis will meet Chinese qualifier Sun Tian Tian, a 6-2, 6-4 winner over American Angela Haynes.
Despite its new status as a mandatory event for the top WTA players, the women's event suffered another injury blow on Wednesday as eighth-seeded Venus Williams joined her sister Serena and compatriot Lindsay Davenport in withdrawing.
Venus Williams cited a sprained right elbow as forcing her withdrawal. Serena Williams pulled out last week saying she didn't feel ready to compete at a high level, while Davenport withdrew because of a bulging disc in her lower back that hindered her at Indian Wells.
COLLATED RESULTS (x denotes seeded player):
MEN'S (FIRST ROUND): Augustin Calleri (ARG) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-2, 6-1; Christophe Rochus (BEL) bt Wesley Moodie (RSA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; Florent Serra (FRA) bt Gilles Simon (FRA) 6-2, 6-4; Kenneth Carlsen (DEN) bt Cyril Saulnier (FRA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0; Jose Acasuso (ARG) bt Tomas Zib (CZE) 5-7, 6-1, 6-1; Fabrice Santoro (FRA) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5); Robin Vik (CZE) bt Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) 6-4, 6-4; Nicolas Massu (CHI) bt Raemon Sluiter (NED) 6-4, 6-3; Mardy Fish (USA) bt Jan Hernych (CZE) 6-3, 6-3; Kevin Kim (USA) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; Mickael Llodra (FRA) bt Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) 6-7 (4/7), 6-0, 6-3; Carlos Moya (ESP) bt Victor Hanescu (ROU) 5-7, 7-5, 6-4; Alex Bogomolov (USA) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) bt Andy Murray (GBR) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; Paul Goldstein (USA) bt Justin Gimelstob (USA) 3-6, 7-6 (8/6) ret; Xavier Malisse (BEL) bt Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.
WOMEN'S (FIRST ROUND): Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) bt Shenay Perry (USA) 6-3, 7-5; Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (ESP) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1; Sun Tian Tian (CHN) bt Angela Haynes (USA) 6-2, 6-4; Mariana Diaz-Oliva (ARG) bt Kristina Brandi (PUR) 6-4, 6-0; Zuzana Ondraskova (CZE) bt Maria Vento-Kabchi (VEN) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; Jamea Jackson (USA) bt Ashley Harkleroad (USA) 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5; Samantha Stosur (AUS) bt Brenda Schultz McCarthy (NED) 6-3, 6-3; Julia Schruff (GER) bt Antonella Serra Zanetti (ITA) 6-1, 6-3; Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) bt Mara Santangelo (ITA) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4; Stephanie Foretz (FRA) bt Milagros Sequera (VEN) 6-4, 6-3; Alona Bondarenko (UKR) bt Tszvetana Pironkova (BUL) 6-2, 6-2; Anastasiya Yakimova (BLR) bt Aiko Nakamura (JPN) 1-6, 6-1, 6-2; Iveta Benesova (CZE) bt Sanja Ancic (CRO) 6-7 (2/7), 6-1, 7-6 (7/2); Vera Zvonareva (RUS) bt Vera Dushevina (RUS) 6-4, 6-2; Mashona Washington (USA) bt Lisa Raymond (USA) 6-1, 6-4; Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Amy Frazier (USA) 6-4, 6-2.
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