Mauresmo scrapes through in Sydney

SYDNEY, Jan 9 (Reuters) Top seed Amelie Mauresmo overcame a slow start to beat fellow Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin 6-7 7-5 6-1 and reach the Sydney International quarter-finals today.

Mauresmo lost the first set in a tiebreak and failed to serve out the second set at the first attempt when she led 5-3 before regaining her composure and running away with the third.

Mauresmo, playing her first competitive match in Australia since her breakthough victory at last year's Australian Open, plays Jelena Jankovic for a place in the semis after the in-form Serb beat Australia's Samantha Stosur 6-2 7-6.

Jankovic captured her second WTA title on Saturday at the Auckland Classic in New Zealand and opened her Sydney campaign with a three-set victory over former world number one Martina Hingis.

James Blake made a flying start to his defence of the men's singles title with a 6-3 6-4 first-round win over fellow American Kevin Kim at the Sydney Olympic tennis centre.

Blake enjoyed his best season on the professional circuit last year, winning five titles, but said his aim for 2007 was to peak at the grand slams.

''It's not going to be easy, but I would love to have as much success as I had here last year and then maybe take it to Melbourne with even more confidence and, hopefully, go a little further,'' he told a news conference.

''I'm definitely looking forward to this tournament and the whole rest of the Australian summer.'' Seventh-seed Patty Schnyder was an early casualty in the women's draw, losing 7-6 6-2 to Israel's Shahar Peer, and eighth-seed Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic downed Ukrainian qualifier Yuliana Fedak 6-3 6-1.

Czech qualifier Ivo Minar advanced to the second round after Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan retired with a wrist injury while trailling 6-2 3-0. Sixth seed Richard Gasquet of France defeated Germany's Benjamin Becker 6-1 6-4.

REUTERS PDS ND1124