Djokovic advances easily in Beijing

Serbia's Novak Djokovic opened his China Open campaign with a straight sets win over Romania's Victor Hanescu on Monday, as the men's main draw got under way at the $6.6-million mixed event.

Djokovic, the No 2 seed in Beijing, dropped his serve once early in the match but quickly worked out his jitters to take control, winning 6-3, 7-5.

The 22-year-old Serb, ranked fourth in the world, mixed up his two-handed topspin and slice backhands to keep Hanescu on the back foot, and earned some easy points with 10 aces.

In the first set, a few ill-timed errors from the 28-year-old Romanian gave Djokovic the break to go up 4-2, and he cruised from there thanks to powerful serving and pinpoint ground strokes.

The pair remained on serve throughout much of the second set but Djokovic claimed the upper hand on the world number 27 with a late break to go up 6-5, and then served out the match, ending it with a crosscourt forehand winner.

In other first round ATP action, Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated Ivo Karlovic, 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-1, despite the big-serving Croat's 27 aces. Former French Open champ Juan Carlos Ferrero was to play in the night session.

Top seed Rafael Nadal, who won the China Open in 2005 and claimed Olympic gold at this venue last year, was to play his opening match against Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus on Tuesday.

On the women's side, Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova eased past Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, 7-5, 6-2, and 20-year-old American Vania King defeated Kazakhstan's Galina Voskoboeva, 6-4, 6-3.