Rusedski pleased to end losing streak

Greg Rusedski was a relieved man after ending his poor run of form with a three-set victory over Croatian Ivo Karlovic in the first round of the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven.

Rusedski had lost his last seven matches and slipped to 138th in the world rankings, but the Briton managed his first win since May.

The 32-year-old wasted two match points in the second set but he held his nerve to break early in the third to set up a meeting with Finland's Jarkko Nieminen.

Rusedski told BBC Sport: "It's always pleasing to win."

The Briton claimed he had not felt 100% fit following a hip injury which had hampered him since Wimbledon.

"It doesn't feel too bad. But it will be good to have back-to-back matches to test it out because I have not had to come back the second day before," he added.

Karlovic, playing in his first match for a month, broke in the third game of the contest but Rusedski broke back and won the tie-break 7-2.

After the second set went with serve, Rusedski wasted two match points, the second on his own serve, before losing the tie-break 9-7 to his 6ft 10in opponent.

However, Rusedski broke early in the final set and closed out for a 6-2 win to set up the clash with Jarkko Nieminen in the next round.