Tennis: Rafael Nadal swatted away the threat posed by American qualifier Alex Kuznetsov to reach the second round of the Australian Open, but admitted afterwards that he almost didn't make it onto court at all.
Once an absorbing opening set went the 25-year-old Spaniard's way, there was no doubting which way the match would go as Nadal cruised to a 6-4 6-1 6-1 victory on Hisense Arena. But last night his prospects of even playing looked bleak due to a knee problem.
"Yesterday evening I wasn't a hundred per cent sure I would have chance to play, because with the movement of that knee I felt that I will not be able to play," he said.
Nadal played with strapping on his right knee which he told reporters was due to an unexplainable injury.
"I was sitting on a chair in the hotel, I felt like a crack on the knee, but it's nothing really strange, happens a lot of time with articulation, movement, articulation," he added. "Nothing strange, I stand up, I felt the knee a little bit strange and moved the leg twice to try and find the feeling.
"After the second time, the knee stayed with an unbelievable pain completely straight."
Nadal will now play veteran Tommy Haasin round two after the German defeated Denis Kudla.
Roger Federershowed no sign of back trouble as he cruised into the second round with a 7-5 6-2 6-2 victory over qualifier Alexandre Kudryavtsev.
The 30-year-old Swiss superstar had withdrawn from the recent Qatar Open after suffering back pain, but returned to his clinical best in a 98-minute victory on Rod Laver Arena.
Federer, champion here in 2010 and bidding for a 17th Grand Slam title, traded baselines punches with his 172nd-ranked opponent early before landing a sublime backhand winner down the line to seal the first set and seize the initiative.
Kudryavtsev drew a rare scowl from Federer, however, when he won a furious baseline skirmish to break the Swiss' serve and claw back to 3-2 in the third set. But the 26-year-old rued clipping a net cord in the next game that set up an easy backhand winner that allowed Federer to break back and cruise to victory. He meets Germany's Andreas Beck in round two.
Afterwards Federer said of his back: "It's no problem, I'm happy to be 100 per cent fit. I've been this way for three or four days. It's a good thing."
Bernard Tomicthrilled the Melbourne crowd by hitting back from two sets down to stun 22nd seed Fernando Verdasco.
The Australian number one, who won the warm-up event in Kooyong over the weekend, looked destined to make an early exit when he fell behind in a strangely lethargic opening before upping the aggression levels to advance 4-6 6-7 (3/7) 6-4 6-2 7-5.
Tomic is the highest-ranked teenager at number 38 and he displayed all his promise and plenty of nerve to outlast the experienced Spaniard on Rod Laver Arena.
"I don't know how I found the energy but the crowd kept me going," said the Germany-born Queenslander, who has the weight of a nation on his shoulders. "It is hard to deal with (the expectation) but I learn to deal with it and I try to enjoy it.
"Today wasn't fun though, it was torture. I really don't know how I won but I am the happiest person alive right now."
Alexandr Dolgopolov, the much-hyped 13th seed, also had to fight back from two sets down to beat Australian wild card Greg Jones.
Dolgopolov, who reached the quarter-finals here last year before losing to Andy Murray, fought back to post a 1-6 4-6 6-1 6-1 6-2 victory.
Eighth seed Mardy Fishmade it through in more conventional fashion with a 6-4 6-4 6-2 defeat of Luxembourg's Gilles Muller.
Fish spent many years in the shadow of countryman Andy Roddick but is now relishing his status as the American number one.
"The goal was always to get into the top 10," Fish said. "The goal was to do well in tournaments and ranking-wise, it never really occurred to me being number one in our country. But it feels good, it's a nice title and it's a nice position to be in."
Juan Martin Del Potro, the 11th seed from Argentina and the last man other than Novak Djokovic, Nadal or Federer to have claimed a grand slam title - following his triumph at the 2009 US Open - also went through after beating Adrian Mannarino.
The Frenchman started well but Del Potro's power game finally clicked and he gained the edge to move through 2-6 6-1 7-5 6-4.
Seventh seed Tomas Berdychbeat Albert Ramos7-5 4-6 6-2 6-3, Nicolas Almagro, seeded 10, edged out Lukasz Kubot1-6 7-5 6-3 7-5 and John Isner (16), best known for his marathon 11-hour contest at Wimbledon in 2010, won in straight sets.
Austrian Jurgen Melzerwas one of the lower seeds to fall, the 31st seed going down in straight sets to the big-serving Ivo Karlovic.
Later in the day Juan Monaco(25) and Ivan Ljubicic(28) joined him through the exit door. Both lost in five sets, Monaco losing a battle with Philipp Kohlschreiber, while Ljubicic squandered a two-set lead in defeat to Lukas Lacko.