LONDON, June 11 (UPI) -- In a battle of two of the ATP Tour's hardest servers, Australia's Mark Phillippousis outslugged No. 6 seed Greg Rusedski of Britain, 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5), Tuesday in the first round of the Stella Artois Championships.
Phillippousis, who recently received a wild card berth at Wimbledon, needed two hours and 34 minutes to avenge a second-round loss to Rusedski in this year's Australian Open.
Phillippousis took the first step toward a second Stella Artois title, overcoming six break points. He served 25 aces but also had 14 double faults.
Rusedski, playing in his first match since losing in the Tennis Masters Roma in May, faced only two break points.
Also reaching the third round was eighth-seeded Belgian Xaiver Malisse, who posted a 6-4, 6-2 victory over American Cecil Mamiit, a former NCAA champion.
Seven other Americans posted first-round wins, led by No. 9 seed Todd Martin and No. 12 Jan-Michael Gambill. Martin, the 1994 champion, posted a 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (8-6) win over Paraguay's Ramon Delgado, while Gambill beat fellow American Michael Chang, 7-5, 6-3.
Mardy Fish, Robby Ginepri, Michael Russell and Mike Bryan all reached the second round with impressive victories.
Fish, a 20-year-old qualifier, downed Andre Sa of Brazil, 6-3, 6-4, to set up a second-round meeting with top seed Lleyton Hewitt of Australia.
Ginepri overcame a lapse in the second set to get past Thailand's Paradorn Scrichaphan, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4.
Russell toppled French qualifier Jean-Francois Bachelot, 7-5, 7-1, setting up a second-round meeting with No. 3 seed Thomas Enqvist of Sweden.
Bryan, who won the double title here last year with his brother, Bob, claimed his first match win on the ATP Tour this year, ousting France's Cedric Pioline, 6-4, 6-4.
American Vincent Spadea knocked out another Frenchman, Michel Llodra, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5, and will take on another American, James Blake, in the second round.
Only one other American fell in the first round Tuesday. Taylor Dent was bounced by Dutchman Raemon Sluiter, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3.
Two other seeds reached the second round. No. 13 Adrian Voinea of Romania defeated France's Gregory Carraz, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, and No. 14 Olivier Rochus of Belgium toppled Israel's Noam Okun, 2-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, in a match suspended Monday.
South African Neville Godwin posted a 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-3 victory over 15-year-old French qualifier Richard Gasquet, who won the French Open junior title last week.
