DaytonDailyNews.com

MASON — Andy Roddick bounced his racket after one poor shot, stared at the sky in disbelief after another. A little off at times, he still had that serve to pull him through.

Roddick relied on the best part of his game — the nasty serve — to set up a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory Tuesday night over Fernando Verdasco in his first match at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters.

Roddick won the tournament last year, making a triumphant return from a long slump and pulled side muscles that had left him vulnerable. This year, the tournament is more about maintaining than regaining.

"This is where the big turnaround took place," said Roddick, who went on to reach the U.S. Open final after winning here last year. "It feels like home."

After a ragged first set, he settled in and finished off Verdasco for his 20th victory in his last 23 matches. Roddick served 13 aces, one of them clocked at 146 mph.

"I don't think I hit the ball great early, but I got better as the match went on," Roddick said. "I served better. I haven't been serving well the last couple of weeks."

The third-seeded Roddick was the only player among the tournament's top six with a match during the first two days. The top eight seeds got first-round byes this year, giving them time to relax and practice.

In other matches Tuesday, two other players coming off injuries got vastly different results.

Britain's Andy Murray, struggling to come back from a wrist injury, became the first seeded player to lose in the tournament. The 14th-seeded Murray never got into a rhythm during a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Marcos Baghdatis.

Murray was sidelined for three months by an injured right wrist. He returned in Montreal last week and lost to qualifier Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-2.

Ninth-seeded James Blake got better as his match went along, beating Alejandro Falla 7-6 (5), 6-1. The American had to withdraw from Montreal last week after he strained abdominal muscles during his first-round match.

Lleyton Hewitt needed 2 hours and 58 minutes to beat Stanislas Wawrinka 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (5) in a match with so many twists that it lacked a turning point.

Roger Federer, the top player in the world, opens up against qualifier Julien Benneteau of France at 7:30 p.m. today.