Switzerland's Roger Federer makes a forehand return during his first round match against Germany's Bjorn Phau at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Monday. Federer won the match in straight sets.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Players always worry about a little bout of the jitters in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament — even Roger Federer.

The top-ranked Federer uncharacteristically dropped serve three times in the first set against Bjorn Phau before rallying to win 7-5, 6-0, 6-4 and kick off the defense of his Australian Open title Monday.

Amelie Mauresmo, who claimed her first Grand Slam title last year here, also started a bit nervous and Andy Roddick had to survive a slow start against a wild-card entry ranked only 212th.

The bottom line in the first days of the two-week event is getting through without injury and finding form after the off season, often while facing unfamiliar opponents with nothing to lose. Fourth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic didn't make it, falling 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4 to American Mardy Fish, who has climbed back into the top 50 after plummeting to 341 in the wake of two wrist operations in 2005.

Federer feared losing the first set, which helped him regain his focus in a stuttering first set.

"I got broken in the first set three times, and that makes you a little bit nervous," said Federer, who went 92-5 with 12 titles last season and is on the cusp of breaking Jimmy Connors' record of 160 consecutive weeks atop the men's rankings. "You try to stay cool, but I got a little bit nervous.

"I'm happy I'm through because it looked like it was definitely going to head for a first-set loss, but I came through. That's the most important."

That was Roddick's mantra, too, after Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, riding a powerful serve in only his sixth match in a top level ATP event, took the first set in a marathon tiebreaker and served for the second set. Roddick wasted four set points in the but came through with a 6-7 (18), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-3 victory.

The second-seeded Mauresmo dropped serve early with three errors against American Shenay Perry, then righted herself and took control to advance 6-3, 6-4.

Serena Williams, seeking her eighth Grand Slam title but unseeded after a rash of injuries, started slow, too, but picked up her game to oust 27th-seeded Mara Santangelo 6-2, 6-1 in an error-plagued night match. Santangelo had only six winners to 23 unforced errors, while Williams ripped 10 aces in an otherwise lackluster service effort.

"I'm feeling pretty good," Williams said. "I came out and finally did what I was supposed to do, to a certain level. "

Croatian Mario Ancic was among the seeded players advancing on the men's side, along with No. 18 Richard Gasquet and former No. 1-ranked Juan Carlos Ferrero, who only played three games before his first-round rival retired.

Amer Delic, Zack Fleishman and Vince Spadea were the other Americans joining Roddick in the second round.

Among the women, third-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Australian Jessica Moore 6-2, 6-0 while fellow Russian Elena Dementieva, seeded seventh, advanced with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Stephanie Foretz.