Melbourne - Andy Roddick breathed a sigh of relief after surviving a nasty fall following a collision with a line judge in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday.
The seventh seed bounced back to his feet after tripping over the line judge and tumbling to the ground in the first set of his match against Thiemo De Bakker of the Netherlands.
Roddick, who was forced out of last year's season-ending Tour Finals with a knee injury, went on to complete a comfortable 6-1 6-4 6-4 victory.
"I kind of pinched it (his knee) a little bit," said the American. "I promise you that first step afterwards was a relief.
"It kind of jarred a little bit. But it's a good sign that I can kind of take that. You know, it didn't do too much to me."
Roddick had admonished the official to "move out of the way when you see a player coming" during the match and still appeared annoyed afterwards.
"He wasn't giving up any ground. I didn't see him. He wasn't really trying to do much to get out of the way," said the American.
"Normally they see a player running full speed, they decide to at least move or catch the player.
"You know, I felt like he was trying out for WWE (professional wrestling) or something, just letting me go."
Roddick was rarely troubled by his tall Dutch opponent during the match in Hisense Arena, which was interrupted by a 45-minute rain delay that forced them off court at 2-2 in the second set.
Officials closed the roof while tournament staff and ballboys and girls dried the court with towels.
"I thought I played the right way," Roddick said.
"I could have executed probably a little bit better at times. But overall I thought it was pretty good.
"You know, first rounds are always a little uncomfortable, especially at a slam. You're kind of built up, you're maybe a little bit overanxious.
"But I thought overall it was all right."
Collated results from day one of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Monday (x denotes seeding):
Men's singles
1st round
Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x24) bt Jason Kubler (AUS) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Fernando Gonzalez (CHI x11) bt Olivier Rochus (BEL) 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Florian Mayer (GER) bt Philipp Petzschner (GER) 0-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
Andy Roddick (USA x7) bt Thiemo De Bakker (NED) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Andy Murray (GBR x5) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-1, 6-1, 6-2
Wayne Odesnik (USA) bt Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE x13) 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG x4) bt Michael Russell (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Bernard Tomic (AUS) bt Guillaume Rufin (FRA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Andrey Golubev (KAZ) bt Mardy Fish (USA) 6-2, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Peter Luczak (AUS) 7-6 (7/0), 6-1, 6-4
Women's singles
1st round
Dinara Safina (RUS x2) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 6-4, 6-4
Maria Kirilenko (RUS) bt Maria Sharapova (RUS x14) 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-4
Zheng Jie (CHN) bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 0-6, 6-1, 6-2
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 6-2, 6-4
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR x30) bt Ioana Raluca (ROU) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6)
Yvonne Meusberger (AUT) bt Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Elena Baltacha (GBR) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
Kim Clijsters (BEL x15) bt Valerie Tetreault (CAN) 6-0, 6-4
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) bt Alexandra Dulgheru (ROM) 1-6, 7-5, 10-8
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x3) bt Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) 6-1, 6-2
Flavia Pennetta (ITA x12) bt Anna Chakvedatze (RUS) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (ESP x24) bt Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-0, 6-0
Justine Henin (BEL) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-4, 6-3
Elena Dementieva (RUS x5) bt Vera Dushevina (RUS) 6-2, 6-1
Alisa Kelybanova (RUS bt Jelena Dokic (AUS) 6-1, 7-5