CINCINNATI : Roger Federer was twice made to come from behind for his 55th consecutive win on North American hardcourts when overcoming Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan 7-5, 6-4 in the Cincinnati Masters on Tuesday.

Richard Gasquet, who lost to Federer in the final at Toronto, could not maintain his form and went down 7-5, 7-5 to Spaniard Tommy Robredo.

Federer handed Srichaphan a 15th first-round defeat this season after trailing a break in both sets, but the Swiss was able to storm back to earn a third victory over Asia's top player yesterday.

"It was an extra tough match, he was playing well from the start," Federer told reporters. "But I got into the match and was able to win it."

In doubles first round action, Mahesh Bhupathi and his American partner Justin Gimelstob prevailed in a marathon against the Czech pair of Tomas Berdych and Jaroslav Levinsky 7-5, 4-6, 11-9.

Leander Paes and his Czech partner Martin Damm enjoyed a bye in the opening round.

Hingis rallies to win

At Montreal, former world number one Martina Hingis rallied from a second-set deficit to defeat Italy's Mara Santangelo 7-5, 7-6(5) in the second round of the Rogers Cup.

In doubles, Sania Mirza's campaign at the Rogers Cup came to an end after she and her Polish partner Marta Domachowska crashed out with a 6-3, 2-6, 5-7 loss at the hands of Italian-American pair of Tathiana Garbin and Meilen Tu in the first round.

The results:

At Mason: (ATP Western & Southern Financial Group Masters): First round: Tommy Haas bt Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-4; Max Mirnyi bt Xavier Malisse 7-5, 4-6, 6-3; Andy Murray bt Tim Henman 4-6, 6-4, 7-5; Gael Monfils bt Marat Safin 6-4, 7-5; Robin Soderling bt Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-3; Mikhail Youzhny bt Bjorn Phau 6-2, 6-3; Ivan Ljubicic bt Greg Rusedski 6-3, 6-4; Justin Gimelstob bt Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 7-6(4); Rafael Nadal bt Sam Querrey 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3; Novak Djokovic bt Jarkko Nieminen 7-6(5), 6-4; Tommy Robredo bt Richard Gasquet 7-5, 7-5; Andy Roddick bt Daniele Bracciali 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 7-6(5); Roger Federer bt Paradorn Srichaphan 7-5, 6-4; Fernando Gonzalez bt Nicolas Massu 6-4, 6-4.

Doubles: First round: Mahesh Bhupathi & Justin Gimelstob bt Tomas Berdych & Jaroslav Levinsky 7-5, 4-6, 11-9.

At Montreal (WTA Rogers Cup): Singles: Second round: Martina Hingis bt Mara Santangelo 7-5, 7-6(5). First round: Marie-Eve Pelletier bt Li Na 6-4, 6-2; Shenay Perry bt Kveta Peschke 7-5, 6-2; Cara Black bt Neha Uberoi 7-6(6), 6-2; Anna-Lena Groenefeld bt Julia Schruff 6-3, 6-3; Jamea Jackson bt Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-1, 6-0; Nicole Pratt bt Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-1, 6-2; Marta Domachowska bt Alicia Molik 7-6(1), 7-6(5); Daniela Hantuchova bt Gisela Dulko 6-2, 6-0; Stephanie Dubois bt Tathiana Garbin 6-4, 6-4; Jelena Jankovic bt Alona Bondarenko 6-3, 6-4; Zheng Jie bt Catalina Castano 6-2, 2-6, 6-2; Ai Sugiyama bt Aleksandra Wozniak 6-3, 7-5; Anna Chakvetadze bt Paola Suarez 7-5, 6-3.

Doubles: First round: Tathiana Garbin & Meilen Tu bt Marta Domachowska & Sania Mirza 3-6, 6-2, 7-5. — Agencies

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