Tue Mar 4 14:51:41 2008

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Nadal, Djokovic, Roddick advance in Dubai

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Sports Network) - French Open champion Rafael Nadal, Australian Open titlist Novak Djokovic and former world No. 1 Andy Roddick were among Tuesday's opening-round winners at the $1.426 million Dubai Tennis Championships.

The second-seeded Nadal came from behind to beat German Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in 2 hours, 22 minutes, while the third-seeded Djokovic handled Croat Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3 and a sixth-seeded Roddick topped fellow former top-ranked star Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-2, 6-4 at Dubai Tennis Stadium. Nadal captured this hardcourt event in 2006. Ferrero ran the table here back in 2001.

Eighth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych also moved into the second round, with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Frenchman Gael Monfils.

In other first-round action, Belgian Olivier Rochus rolled past Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 6-2; Spaniard Feliciano Lopez held off Serbian Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu dismissed Aussie qualifier Joseph Sirianni 6-4, 6-4; and Russian qualifier Mikhail Ledovskikh leveled Mahmoud Nader, a wild card from the United Arab Emirates, 6-1, 6-1 on Day 2.

The second round will be staged here on Wednesday, as Nadal will meet Ledovskikh, Djokovic will encounter crafty Frenchman Fabrice Santoro, the 2002 champion here, and Roddick will take on Mathieu. Fourth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer and fifth-seeded Russian will also take to the courts on Day 3, as will unseeded world No. 11 Brit Andy Murray, who will tangle with Spaniard Fernando Verdasco after stunning Swiss great Roger Federer here on Monday.

The 2008 Dubai titlist will collect $300,000.