Rusedski's setback in build-up to Melbourne

Greg Rusedski's build-up to the Australian Open, which starts on Monday, faltered yesterday when he was beaten by Joachim Johansson, of Sweden, in the first round of the Medibank International in Sydney.

Greg Rusedski's build-up to the Australian Open, which starts on Monday, faltered yesterday when he was beaten by Joachim Johansson, of Sweden, in the first round of the Medibank International in Sydney.

The British No 2 lost 6-4, 6-3 to the third-seeded Johansson, who will meet Max Mirnyi in the second round after the Belarussian's 6-1, 7-5 win over David Ferrer of Spain.

The defending men's champion, Lleyton Hewitt, rebounded from his early exit at last week's Australian Hardcourt Championship in Adelaide to crush the Slovak Karol Beck 6-1, 6-2 in the first round. Hewitt won in 67 minutes and now meets Arnaud Clement after the Frenchman beat the Czech Tomas Zib 6-1, 6-3. However, there was a surprise defeat for Carlos Moya, who lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.

There were two upsets in the women's event. The French Open champion, Anastasia Myskina, suffered a second-round defeat to the Chinese qualifier Shuai Peng. Shuai, ranked 80th in the world, won 6-1, 6-3, while Ai Sugiyama, the eighth seed, was beaten by Tatiana Golovin, of France, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.

The women's world No 1, Lindsay Davenport, was untroubled in winning her second-round match against Nathalie Dechy, of France, 6-3, 6-4.