MASON — Marat Safin a winner? Yevgeny Kafelnikov? Nyet. Those temperamental Russians each imploded on Day 1 of the Western & Southern Financial Masters.

        Safin, the world's No. 2 player, blew three set points in a first-set tiebreaker Monday and fell apart in a 7-6 (7), 6-2 loss to Greg Rusedski.

IF YOU GO

What: Western & Southern Financial Group Masters.     Where: ATP Tennis Center, Mason.     Today's schedule: Sessions at 11 a.m., 7 p.m.     TV: 1-3 p.m., ESPN (live), 10 p.m.-midnight, ESPN2 (same-day delayed)     Tickets: Available for both sessions at $20 each. Call 651-0303 or TicketMaster at 562-4949 (www.ticketmaster.com). Click here to view tournament draw bracket (Acrobat PDF file, 10K)

        Kafelnikov, ranked fifth, was listless in a 6-3, 6-2 loss to Rainer Schuettler. In the other upset, Ivan Ljubicic beat 10th-seeded Roger Federer 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

        Safin has lost in the first round three of the past four years here.

        “I'm terrible,” Safin said. “I have no confidence. I have no idea out there; I'm completely lost. It disappoints me so much, I have no power to go on. But I have to.”

        Rusedski, a former top-five player with a huge serve, had only to save two break points in the match. On his lone set point, up 8-7 in the tiebreaker, he served a 135-mph ace. He has beaten Safin three consecutive times.

        “I don't think he likes playing against me,” Rusedski said.

        Today's schedule is loaded, with 11 seeded players in action. The most compelling matchup is at 11 a.m. on Center Court: defending champion Gustavo Kuerten vs.fourth-seeded Tim Henman. They met in the semifinals here each of the past two years.

        That's followed by top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt vs.young American Robby Ginepri, and 12th-seeded Andy Roddick vs.Michel Kratochvil. At 7 p.m., Pete Sampras meets Guillermo Canas, who won the Tennis Masters Series title in Toronto on Sunday.

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