Xavier Malisse hits a backhand return to Gilles Muller on Day I of the Chennai Open. The defending champion won the first-round match 6-4, 6-3. (AFP)

Chennai: If the first round encounter is anything to go by, Xavier Malisse’s dodgy wrist has healed. The defending champion, who achieved a rare double here last year, swept aside Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-4, 6-3 to move into the second round of the ATP Chennai Open on Monday.

For once, the scorecard reflects accurately the way the match was dominated by the 6’1” Belgian. He was limited to only five tournaments owing to the right wrist injury since February 19 in Memphis, but not before he had won singles and doubles in two of his first three tournaments, in Chennai and Delray Beach.

The injury caused him to be sidelined for six months and by his own admission, Malisse had been quite short of match practice coming into the first event on the ATP calendar.

But the way the Belgian dictated the terms of the match, it’s only a matter of time before the world ranking of 112 goes for a dramatic northward revision.

Muller, the 6’5” strong lad from Luxembourg, has an even stronger serve, hitting 200kmph with relative ease. But he found it difficult to survive, plagued as he was by a windy Centre Court and patchy form.

Malisse, who later admitted during the post match press conference that he needed to utilise the few chances that he knew would come his way, did just that.

“The ball was swinging… I knew he would come at me with his serve but every match offers chances and it is up to you to utilise them,” said Malisse, who plans to usher in the New Year with a quiet drink in his suite and wishing his coach.

“I wasn’t sure of my match fitness but I am quite happy about the way I played today,” the Belgian said. “The fitness will come as I keep on playing,” said the 27-year-old.

Capitalising on a loosener of a game by Muller first up, Malisse broke the world No.117 and went ahead 1-0.

Both players would hold their serves and try as he did, the big-serving Muller lacked the counter punch or a Plan B to get the break back.

Five aces came Malisse’s way but he kept his cool and tried to engage Muller in rallies, something the 24-year-old from Luxembourg couldn’t cope with.

From the very first set, the unseeded Malisse was moving well and it seemed the man who showed world No.2 Rafael Nadal the door in the semi-finals in 2007 is slowly getting his moorings. He dished out an equal number of aces and played well on crucial points to shut out the first set 6-4 in 35 minutes.

In the second, Muller, by now desperate to get a foothold, tried to break Malisse’s rhythm by applying drop shots. But when not serving well, Muller’s shots lacked depth and very often he was found wanting as Malisse’s forehands kept whistling past him.

The fact that the world No. 117 didn’t get a single break point in the match tells it’s story. Malisse won in a canter in the second set, the 6-3 result coming in 38 minutes.

The defending champion will take on Jurgen Melzer in Round II. The sixth-seeded Austrian beat Paul Capdeville of Chile 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and seven minutes.

World No.2 Rafael Nadal’s doubles campaign ended as soon as it got started, the world No.2 and Bartolome Salva-Vidal losing 4-6, 4-6 to No.2 seed Marcos Baghdatis and Marc Gicquel.

Wild card entrant Vishnu Vardhan realised the difference between national grasscourts and an ATP meet, with the Indian getting a veritable tennis lesson in losing to Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France 1-6, 2-6.

Fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia defeated Jiri Vanek of Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2 to sail into the second round.

Moya targets top-15 goal in 2008: Page 19