Rusedski's Russia run rolls on with win over Rosset

Greg Rusedski continued his good form in Russia with a straight-sets win over Marc Rosset in the St Petersburg Open. The British No 2 defeated the former Olympic champion 6-4, 6-3 in the first round yesterday to set up a last-16 meeting with Radek Stepanek, of the Czech Republic.

Greg Rusedski continued his good form in Russia with a straight-sets win over Marc Rosset in the St Petersburg Open. The British No 2 defeated the former Olympic champion 6-4, 6-3 in the first round yesterday to set up a last-16 meeting with Radek Stepanek, of the Czech Republic.

Rusedski reached the final of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow earlier this month and held three match points before losing to the Russian Nikolay Davydenko. The second seed Dominik Hrbaty, a possible quarter-final opponent for Rusedski, lost to Ivo Karlovic, of Croatia, 7-6, 5-7. The eighth seed, Gilles Muller of Luxembourg, beat the Russian Igor Andreyev 4-6, 6-1, 7-5.

In Basle, the world No 1 Roger Federer pulled out of the Swiss Indoors tournament yesterday with a thigh muscle tear. Federer injured his left thigh during a warm-up yesterday morning.

Federer had been seeking his first tournament title in seven appearances here in his home city. In 2002, he lost in the semi-finals to David Nalbandian of Argentina. Last year he fared worse, going out in the second round to Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia.

The Swiss player is expected to be out for at least 10 days, but could be fit in time for the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston, which start on 15 November.