SCOTTSDALE, MARCH 2: Patrick Rafter is trying to find the form that made him a two-time US Open champion while Goran Ivanisevic was fortunate to find the second round as the seeded pair won their opening matches at the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic yesterday.

Second seed Rafter, returning to competition after being sidelined with a sore knee since the Australian Open, defeated American qualifier Alex O’Brien 6-3 6-4 but rarely looked comfortable doing so.

The fourth-seeded Ivanisevic overcame a sluggish start with 13 aces to down Australian Scott Draper 5-7 6-4 6-1 in a battle of left-handers. American Justin Gimelstob gunned in 10 aces to surprise seventh-seeded Austrian Thomas Muster 6-4 7-5.

Frenchman Jerome Golmard, who picked up his first ATP Tour title last month in Dubai, ousted eighth-seeded Brazilian Gustavo Kuertan 6-3 3-6 6-3.In a minor upset, Australian Jason Stoltenberg, last year’s runner-up, fell to Fernando Vicente of Spain 7-6 7-5.

Santoro surge

COPENHAGEN: Fourth-seededFabian Santoro of France easily defeated wild-card Thomas Larsen of Denmark in the first round of the Copenhagen Open ATP Tournament today.

In other early matches on the fast green set carpet, Rainer Schuttler of Germany struggled past Italy’s Laurence Tieleman 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and Canadian Daniel Nestor downed Adrian Voinea of Romania 6-3, 6-2. All are unseeded.

Graf, Huber for Fed Cup

HAMBURG: Germany will have their strongest team available for next month’s Fed Cup World Group II tie with Japan when Steffi Graf and Anke Huber team up.

“I always liked playing Fed Cup and am looking forward to playing again,” said Huber today. Graf had announced her return into the team last week. Graf and Huber lifted Germany to the 1992 title in Frankfurt. Their last showing together was in July 1996 when they won a relegation match 4-1 in Poertschach, Austria.