'Senior' runners never stop pushing their limits in marathons

ScienceDaily (Jan. 19, 2012) ? Romauld Lepers and Thomas Cattagni, researchers from Inserm Unit 1093 "Cognition, Action and Sensorimotor Plasticity" at the Universit? de Bourgogone, have analysed changes in participation and performance of runners aged 20 to 80 in the New York marathon over the last 30 years. The results are largely unexpected: the best male marathon runners over 65 and the best female marathon runners over 45 have consistently improved their performance over the last 30 years. At the same time, the researchers also observed a strong increase in athletes over 40 participating in the New York marathon: from 36% of the total masculine runners between 1980-1989, to 53% between 2000-2009; and from 24 to 40% during the same periods for female runners.

Details of these descriptive analyses were published in the AGE review, The Official Journal of the American Aging Association.

Inserm researchers analysed the chronometric performances of competitors in the New York marathon in accordance with age and sex over the 1980-2009 period. They classified runners who successfully completed he race into 10 separate age categories (20-29; 30-39; then every 5 years from between 40 and 79).

Although the average times achieved by the 10 best male and female athletes in age categories below 60-64 have not changed over the last 30 years, there was a sharp decrease in times for the senior age categories: for an average marathon time achieved of 3 hours and 50 minutes, men in the 65-69 age category improved by 8 minutes between 1980-1989 and 1990-1999, and 7 minutes between 1990-1999 and 2000-2009. Similarly, the average time achieved by women in age categories above 45-49 fell significantly. For example, the average performance for the 55-59 age category improved by 33 minutes between 1980-1989 and 1990-1999 (for an average race time of 4 hours and 20 minutes), and by 8 minutes between 1990-1999 and 2000-2009.

The researchers have thus concluded that, over the last two decades, the performances of the best male marathon runners over 65 and the best female marathon runners over 45 have particularly improved, whereas their younger counterparts have remained stable.

"The improved performances can be explained by the increased number of participants in these age categories, as well as the increased interest this age population has in terms of the benefits of physical activity on health and well being" says Romuald Lepers, whose research into motor function plasticity during aging is part of the overall research of Inserm Unit 1093 "Cognition, Action and Sensorimotor Plasticity," directed by Thierry Pozzo.

In recent years, the gap in performance between men and women has stabilized, in all age categories, suggesting that the decline in physiological functions with age is similar for both sexes. The mechanisms via which physical activity acts advantageously in terms of slowing down aging-related processes remain to be explored. For the researchers, this initial data on athletes over 40, combined with new physiology and sociology data, will lead to improved understanding of the role physical exercise has in "aging well."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by INSERM (Institut national de la sant? et de la recherche m?dicale).

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Journal Reference:

1. Romuald Lepers, Thomas Cattagni. Do older athletes reach limits in their performance during marathon running? AGE, 2011; DOI: 10.1007/s11357-011-9271-z

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119102012.htm

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Romanian riots reveal growing gloom in region

An anti-government protester waves a national flag after he climbed on a building in downtown Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. Dozens of demonstrators gathered in downtown Bucharest, Monday as Romania's prime minister warned that violent protests that left 59 injured over the weekend could jeopardize stability and economic growth. Police on Sunday clashed with a small contingent of around 1,000 protesters in the capital, after four days of demonstrations against austerity measures turned violent. Tear gas and flares were used to repel demonstrators hurling stones and firebombs.(AP Photo/Octav Ganea)

An anti-government protester waves a national flag after he climbed on a building in downtown Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. Dozens of demonstrators gathered in downtown Bucharest, Monday as Romania's prime minister warned that violent protests that left 59 injured over the weekend could jeopardize stability and economic growth. Police on Sunday clashed with a small contingent of around 1,000 protesters in the capital, after four days of demonstrations against austerity measures turned violent. Tear gas and flares were used to repel demonstrators hurling stones and firebombs.(AP Photo/Octav Ganea)

Anti-government protesters gesture climbed on a statue in front of the national theatre, in downtown Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. Dozens of demonstrators gathered in downtown Bucharest, Monday as Romania's prime minister warned that violent protests that left 59 injured over the weekend could jeopardize stability and economic growth. Police on Sunday clashed with a small contingent of around 1,000 protesters in the capital, after four days of demonstrations against austerity measures turned violent. Tear gas and flares were used to repel demonstrators hurling stones and firebombs.(AP Photo/Octav Ganea)

Anti-government protesters hold banners that read "Leave" or "Come out of your houses if you care" climbed on a group of statues in front of the national theatre, downtown Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. Dozens of demonstrators gathered in downtown Bucharest, Monday as Romania's prime minister warned that violent protests that left 59 injured over the weekend could jeopardize stability and economic growth. Police on Sunday clashed with a small contingent of around 1,000 protesters in the capital, after four days of demonstrations against austerity measures turned violent. Tear gas and flares were used to repel demonstrators hurling stones and firebombs.(AP Photo/Octav Ganea)

Riot police in combat gear stand in line during a snowfall, downtown Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. Dozens of demonstrators gathered in downtown Bucharest, Monday as Romania's prime minister warned that violent protests that left 59 injured over the weekend could jeopardize stability and economic growth. Police on Sunday clashed with a small contingent of around 1,000 protesters in the capital, after four days of demonstrations against austerity measures turned violent. Tear gas and flares were used to repel demonstrators hurling stones and firebombs.(AP Photo/Octav Ganea)

A man walks by a fire burning in University Square, the scene of the first anti-communist protests in 1989, in Bucharest, Romania, early Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. Romania's government called an emergency meeting late Sunday to discuss violent protests that show no sign of abating after demonstrators angry about austerity measures hurled stones and firebombs at police. At least six people were injured. (AP Photo/Octav Ganea)

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) ? Romanian cities are gripped by the worst street violence in over a decade. Slovaks seem poised to re-elect a confrontational and divisive populist. Hungary alarms the European Union with laws that erode democratic rights.

In former Soviet bloc nations now part of the EU, frustration is mounting due to economic stagnation and worrisome governance, encouraging street protests and unpredictability that could jeopardize growth and stability in an already troubled part of the continent.

Many of the problems are common far beyond the region: indebted states hiking taxes and slashing state spending to stay solvent. But the added burdens come to a region that was already grappling with much deeper poverty and corruption than in the West before the global financial crisis hit.

In recent days, the situation has played out most dramatically in Romania, where pent-up fury with the government and an eroding standard of living exploded into days of street protests that at times turned violent. In Bucharest over the weekend, 59 people were injured in fighting that saw riot police turn tear gas on protesters who attacked them with stones and firebombs.

"What happened last weekend is only the beginning," commentator Gabriel Bejan wrote in Tuesday's Romania Libera daily paper. "We are in an important electoral year and such confrontations will be frequent. What will they lead to when nobody seems willing to take a step back?"

Much of the frustration goes back to the way Romania transitioned to democracy after its 1989 coup against dictator Nicolae Ceausescu ? with many former communists keeping control of power and resources. The results, today, are seen in entrenched cronyism, a huge gap between rich and poor and a lack of government transparency that feeds a widespread sense of injustice.

"The Mafioso government stole everything we had!" protesters declared on banners at several of the rallies that have taken place in more than a dozen Romanian cities since Thursday and appear set to go on.

Hungarians have also been taking to the streets with increased frequency in recent months over a new constitution and a blizzard of new laws that concentrate power for the right-wing Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Freedom House, a U.S. group that carries out a yearly global survey of political freedom and civil liberties, has observed "hints of re-emergent illiberalism" across central Europe, said Christopher Walker, the group's vice president for strategy and analysis.

This year's report, to be published Thursday, will highlight what it sees as a deteriorating climate for civil liberties in Hungary due to threats to the independence of the press and the judiciary.

"Hungary has shown a bent towards illiberalism which is really inconsistent with the European idea," Walker said.

The EU agrees. On Tuesday the EU Commission launched legal challenges against Budapest over its new constitution and other laws which took effect Jan. 1, saying they undermine the independence of the national central bank and the judiciary and do not respect data privacy principles.

Orban's tightening hold on many institutions comes thanks to an overwhelming 2010 victory for his party on the heels of near economic collapse by the previous, Socialist-led government.

But the mounting EU pressure appeared to have some effect: EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Wednesday that he received a letter from Orban promising to modify the legislation that raised EU concerns.

In Slovakia, meanwhile, opinion polls predict a probable return to power in March elections for Robert Fico, a former left-wing prime minister who has also worried Western diplomats with a sympathetic approach toward authoritarian states. Fico took Russia's side during its 2008 war with Georgia ? bucking a trend across the former Soviet bloc to express concern over Moscow's use of power. He has also celebrated Fidel Castro's Cuban revolution.

In striking contrast to trouble in much of the region, there is one relative oasis: Poland, the largest of the 10 ex-communist states that joined the EU in recent years. Its economy has seen unusual dynamism given the difficult times, thanks in some part to massive infrastructure projects in recent years as Poland prepares to co-host this summer's European football championships with Ukraine.

But economists fear that its economy, too, could lose momentum after the Euro 2012 and with far-ranging austerity measures set to start taking effect this year in an effort to keep state debt from spiraling out of control.

But for now, anger is clearly greater in Hungary and Romania, and in both places the unfolding developments are shaped greatly by the legacy of communist rule.

In Hungary, Orban has justified his upending of the country's laws by arguing that the former communists and their way of thinking were never purged entirely from democratic Hungary.

Romania sees many of its problems exacerbated by the continued rule of some former communists, including President Traian Basescu, 60, who under Ceausescu was a ship captain for the state shipping company Navrom in Antwerp. That was a position of privilege which allowed him to earn coveted hard currency.

Feeding frustration is a sense that there is too little transparency over the doings, past and present, of Romania's leaders.

More than two decades after the overthrow of Ceausescu, authorities have opened only a handful of the files of the former dreaded Securitate secret police, which had 760,000 informers in a nation of 22 million. Former agents are believed to be active in politics, business and the media ? though the public has never been given the full picture.

Also, only a handful of senior officials were ever tried for the mass shootings of unarmed civilians in the 1989 revolution, perpetuating a sense that that story, too, is being covered up.

A political analyst who has studied the revolutions of Eastern Europe, Christopher Chivvers with the RAND Corporation, sees many of today's injustices as being rooted in the overly rapid move toward a market economy in the 1990s.

When state-run industries were privatized then, it was generally only the former communist apparatchiks who knew how to maneuver the system to take hold of them and run them.

"Those who had the know-how ? the former regime officials ? were able to snatch up large amounts of former state property in ways that ultimately entrenched their position in society and in the state," said Chivvers, who is also a professor in European studies at Johns Hopkins University.

Many Romanians express deep frustration over this.

"We still have unanswered questions regarding shady privatization deals made in the 90s," said Cristina, a Romanian woman who asked that her last name not be published because she works for the government and fears retribution.

___

Vanessa Gera reported from Warsaw, Poland. Associated Press writer Karel Janicek contributed from Prague.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-19-EU-Eastern-Europe's-Gloom/id-b6697312d9e446aea81056f808fdd6e6

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Goldman beats Street; net income falls 58 percent (AP)

NEW YORK ? Goldman Sachs' net income fell 58 percent in the last three months of last year because of lower investment banking fees in a quarter marked by choppy financial markets.

The investment bank said Wednesday that it made $1 billion, or $1.84 per share, from October through December. The results beat the estimate of $1.28 per share from analysts surveyed by FactSet, a provider of financial data.

Goldman's quarterly revenue fell 30 percent to $6 billion. It set aside $2.2 billion for pay, 2 percent less than the year before.

Fear about the European debt crisis made the stock and bond markets volatile late last year, and clients of all the major banks shied away from mergers and acquisitions and public offerings of stock.

Goldman took in 43 percent less in the fourth quarter than it did in the same quarter a year earlier from advising companies on mergers and acquisitions and underwriting fees for stock and bond sales.

Goldman has a reputation for outperforming the rest of Wall Street. But its fee decline was roughly in line with Citigroup, its much weaker competitor, where fees declined 45 percent. JPMorgan Chase reported a smaller decline of 39 percent.

CEO Lloyd Blankfein said concerns about the global economy made Goldman's clients less inclined to take risks in 2011. He said the firm saw "encouraging signs" that the economy and financial markets are improving.

Goldman's typical clients are large hedge funds and multinational corporations that need to hedge their bets on foreign currencies, fluctuating interest rates and commodities.

The bumpy financial markets hurt revenue in those parts of Goldman's business. Revenue from client services fell 16 percent to $3.06 billion for the quarter. Transactions in commodities, currency and fixed income fell 17 percent.

Besides conducting large trades for those clients, Goldman has made big profits trading for its own account ? especially when the markets are volatile. But regulations taking effect this year will reduce Goldman's ability to make those trades for the firm.

Another worry is that the near future isn't looking as healthy. The firm's investment banking transaction backlog, an indicator of future revenue and profit, decreased from the quarter before, though it was slightly higher than a year earlier.

For the year, Goldman made $4.4 billion, 47 percent less than in 2010, on revenue of $28.8 billion, down 26 percent from the previous year.

Goldman's stock was up 1 percent at $98.74 in pre-market trading.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_goldman_sachs

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US promotes democracy with suddenly important Togo (AP)

LOME, Togo ? After venturing to reclusive Myanmar, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pressed democratic reforms Tuesday in another place long dominated by dictators, becoming the first American in her post to ever visit the African nation of Togo.

Greeted by performers on stilts and sword-wielding ceremonial soldiers in red capes, Clinton visited Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe in his presidential palace, a Chinese-built construction of marble floors and sparkling Christmas-like lights strung from the ceiling. Paintings sat against the walls, the unfinished work of a hasty decoration.

The decadence on display, just beyond the destitute streets of Togo's capital, Lome, in some ways evoked the worst of post-colonial Africa and its rulers' all-too-common penchant for ceremonies and ornamentation while their people languish in poverty. Yet after six decades of dictatorship, Togo is showing signs of progress ? much like Myanmar, or Burma, before Clinton's trip last year ? and the Obama administration wanted to take a chance.

"Togo's national elections later this year will be an important milestone," Clinton said. "The United States will be a partner to the government of Togo as it builds on its recent democratic gains, brings dissenting voices to the table for an inclusive dialogue, increases the political participation of women, and carries out a successful constitutional reform process."

The choice of Togo isn't solely about goodwill. The West African country of 6.8 million people, tucked between Benin and Ghana, is as of two weeks ago a U.N. Security Council member. That means it may vote alongside the world's biggest powers on resolutions that could cover anything from a future Palestinian state to sanctions against Syria.

Clinton and Gnassingbe agreed to cooperate on both issues, a senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting was private. Gnassingbe backed U.S. support for direct Israeli-Palestinian talks and opposition to a premature Palestinian declaration of statehood, the official said.

Clinton visited Togo on the penultimate stop of a four-country Africa swing aimed at encouraging governments to continue with democratic and economic reforms.

She led a U.S. delegation Monday to the inauguration of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female head of state. She then traveled to Ivory Coast to meet the democratically elected President Alassane Ouattara, who took office last year after his forces finally ousted predecessor Laurent Gbagbo, who had refused to cede power. She will stop in Cape Verde before returning to Washington early Wednesday.

The trip to Togo was the most unexpected. Whereas Washington has championed the ascents of Sirleaf and Ouattara, respected economists with resumes that include the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the U.S. has largely ignored Togo since it gained independence from France 62 years ago.

Details of Clinton's meeting with Gnassingbe showed an attempt to U.S. interests with a new partner, along with encouragement for democracy work in Togo that still has a long way to go.

Washington is optimistic about Gnassingbe despite his history as the military-pronounced successor of his father, a dictator who crushed opponents for almost four decades. He won a flawed election seven years ago and was re-elected in 2010 in a vote that edged closer toward constituting a free and fair multiparty contest.

Despite Gnassingbe's questionable past, Johnnie Carson, the top U.S. diplomat for Africa, described the Togolese leader as one "determined to put in place a strong reform-minded government ? one that is democratic, multiparty and which opens up the country." He called the meeting an opportunity for Clinton to encourage Gnassingbe "along a reformist path, to continue to promote political reconciliation in his country and to speed on economic reforms."

The country also boasts the largest single private American investment in West Africa in over a decade: a new 100-megawatt power plant built in Lome by New York City-based Contour Global at a cost of over $200 million. Seated beside Gnassingbe, Clinton said President Barack Obama "believes as I believe that West Africa has great potential."

The message is akin to one Clinton took with her to Myanmar in November, becoming the first secretary of state to visit the Asian country in five decades. The military-led government, long among the world's most repressive and brutal, has since carried on with reforms and the release of hundreds more political prisoners. A national dialogue involving once-jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has gained momentum.

In Abidjan, Ivory Coast's biggest city, Clinton praised Ouattara's government for seeking accountability for crimes committed during the fighting that took place after the country's disputed 2010 election.

Rights groups say Ouattara hasn't done enough to prosecute members of his armed forces linked to massacres, even if he has launched an investigation and promised justice. But Clinton said the government was taking positive steps to meet the Ivorians' "need to see that the rule of law is working and that there is impartial justice."

Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have provided detailed documentation of alleged abuse by troops loyal to Ouattara. Gbagbo is being prosecuted at The Hague, and his senior officials are being pursued. But to date not a single official in Ouattara's military has been implicated despite accusations of setting villages afire, gang-raping women and executing the infirm and elderly.

"I am inspired by how quickly not only the government but the people have moved from the violence of last spring," Clinton said, praising economic recovery efforts after the war closed Abidjan's port, cut off cocoa exports and led bank accounts to be blocked.

Ivory Coast was once one of Africa's most prosperous nations, and Clinton said she recognized a "commitment that is in the air to build a better future."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_re_af/af_clinton_africa

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ASUS offers refunds and extended warranties to piqued Prime customers in the UK

If the Ice Cream Sandwich update, bug fixes and piles of apologies from the folks at ASUS just aren't cutting it and you happen to live in the UK, then we've got some good news for you. You are free to take your Transformer Prime back to the shop for a full refund. Don't expect turn around and pick up that updated TF700T with your haul, though, it won't be hitting shelves in merry ol' England till at least June. If you choose to keep your dockable tablet, ASUS will offer an extended warranty of 18 months, just to soothe your panicked mind that wakes you with night terrors about GPS issues and unknown serial numbers.

ASUS offers refunds and extended warranties to piqued Prime customers in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/18/asus-offers-refunds-and-extended-warranties/

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Wisconsin Recall Effort: Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald Targeted For Recall

By Brendan O'Brien

MADISON, Wisconsin-- Organizers of the petition drive to recall the top Republican in the Wisconsin state Senate submitted what they said were more than enough signatures on Tuesday to force him to defend his seat in a special election later this year.

The Committee to Recall Scott Fitzgerald, which opposes the collective bargaining changes and other measures the Senate majority leader helped usher into law last year, dropped off 20,600 signatures at the offices of the Government Accountability Board on Tuesday morning -- nearly 4,000 more than the 16,742 needed.

As many as 17 Wisconsin state senators -- 11 Republicans and six Democrats -- as well as the governor and lieutenant governor could face recall this year in contests triggered by last year's fight over union rights. That could tip the balance of power in the state Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 17-16 majority.

Lori Compas, a spokeswoman for the Committee to Recall Fitzgerald, said the group was confident the signatures would be verified and that Fitzgerald, who was first elected to the state Senate in 1994, would have to fight to hold onto his seat.

"This is a proud moment," Compas said. "We worked really hard and we're really excited about what we felt on the campaign trail."

The filing of the petitions with the board will not automatically result in Fitzgerald's removal from office. But if the petitions are certified, the Juneau, Wisconsin lawmaker would face a special election later this year.

In a statement, Fitzgerald said he looked forward to defending his record, saying the reforms Republicans had championed over the past year had "balanced a massive budget deficit without raising taxes or resorting to layoffs."

Later today, organizers of the effort to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will submit what they promise will be a sufficient number of signatures to force the first-term Republican to defend his seat in a special election.

Walker and the state's Republican-controlled legislature passed a raft of highly controversial measures last year, including strict limits on the union rights of public employees.

The anti-union measure triggered mass protests in Madison and a fierce political backlash from Democrats and union supporters.

Walker defended the measures, including strict limits on plaintiffs' right to sue, as necessary to address a gaping budget gap and to make Wisconsin more attractive to employers.

After forging ahead with a conservative agenda that included the successful passage of voter ID and concealed carry legislation, six Republican senators faced recall last summer. Ultimately, two were recalled.

(Writing by James B. Kelleher; Editing by Paul Thomasch)

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/17/wisconsin-recall-effort-scott-fitzgerald_n_1211139.html

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Nadal overcomes knee problem to win 1st match

Spain's Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd following his first round match against Alex Kuznetsov of the US at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Spain's Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd following his first round match against Alex Kuznetsov of the US at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Spain's Rafael Nadal makes a forehand return to Alex Kuznetsov of the US during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Kim Clijsters of Belgium celebrates after winning a point against Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill)

China's Peng Shuai returns a ball to France's Aravane Rezai during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/John Donegan)

China's Li Na wraps an ice towel around her face during her first round match against Ksenia Pervak of Kazakhstan play at the Australian Open tennis championship, in Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) ? Rafael Nadal has a new injury ? a tendon problem in his right knee that nearly prompted him to forfeit a first-round match at the Australian Open on Monday that he went to win handily.

Roger Federer, defending champion Kim Clijsters and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, also bothered by injuries coming into the tournament, all advanced to the second round in more routine fashion and appeared as if they were over their ailments.

That wasn't the case with Nadal. Bothered by a left shoulder injury late last year, Nadal had his right knee heavily taped during his 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win over Alex Kuznetsov.

"I was sitting on a chair in the hotel, I felt like a crack on the knee ... really strange," Nadal said. "I stand up. I felt the knee a little bit strange. I moved the leg like this two times to try to find the feeling. After the second time, the knee stays with an unbelievable pain completely straight. I have no movement on the knee."

"I wasn't 100 percent sure I would have a chance to play," Nadal added.

The Spaniard decided to play after an MRI exam showed no major damage, but he still had concerns going into the match.

"I started with a little bit of a scare at the beginning, and nervous because I was really disappointed yesterday," he said. "But after the first 10 games ... I started to play with normal conditions.

"The best thing is I felt the knee very well. I really don't understand why happened everything, but I am really happy that today I was ready to play and I played a fantastic match."

Federer, who pulled out of a tournament in Doha two weeks ago with back soreness, began the quest for his 17th Grand Slam title ? and first since the 2010 Australian Open ? with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 win over qualifier Alexander Kudryavtsev.

It was Federer's 60th win at the Australian Open, and he also has 60-plus wins at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

The third-seeded Federer took the first two sets and was up a break in the third before the Russian rallied with a break of serve in the fifth game of the final set. Federer, however, broke Kudryavtsev in the next game with a backhand cross-court winner and sealed the match when the Russian hit a forehand wide.

"No problem, I am happy to be 100 percent fit," Federer said after his win.

Just as quickly, he batted away speculation about a possibly divisive issue with Nadal.

Nadal was critical of Federer on Sunday for not speaking out publicly in support of players who are pushing the ATP for changes in areas such as tournament scheduling and prize money.

"Things are fine between us, you know. I have no hard feelings towards him," Federer said. "It's been a difficult last few months in terms of politics within the ATP.

Nadal has "mentioned many times how he gets a bit tired and frustrated through the whole process, and I shared that with him. It's normal. But for me, obviously nothing changes in terms of our relationship. I'm completely cool and relaxed about it."

Defending women's champion Clijsters opened with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Portuguese qualifier Maria Joao Koehler, showing no signs of the hip spasms which forced her to withdraw from a tuneup event in Brisbane 10 day ago.

Wozniacki, who injured her left wrist in a quarterfinal loss at the Sydney International, showed no signs of discomfort while cruising past Australia's Anastasia Rodionova 6-2, 6-1 in the last match of the evening on Rod Laver Arena.

"I got a bit nervous about my wrist in Sydney, but I am happy I could play full-out tonight," Wozniacki said.

Li Na, who lost the Australian final to Clijsters last year, earned a 6-3, 6-1 win over Ksenia Pervak of Kazakhstan. In the first featured match of the tournament, third-seeded Victoria Azarenka won 12 straight games to finish off Heather Watson 6-1, 6-0 in 67 minutes on center court.

The Hisense Arena crowd was solidly behind Nadal, particularly the groups of young women who screamed and whistled when he changed his shirt and yelled "We love you Rafa" and "Vamos Rafa!" between games. He didn't give them a chance to cheer for long, needing only about 30 minutes each to win the final two sets.

Clijsters similarly had an easy time in the second half of her match, breaking Koehler's serve in the deciding game of the first set and reeling off 13 straight points to start the second.

She claimed later that the win wasn't as easy as it looked.

"It was hard to really get a good rhythm out there," Clijsters said. "I did feel like I was seeing the ball probably not always as good as I would like to."

She said she'd dealt with the "emotions and stress" of her hip injury, claiming she was lucky even to get a few warmup matches in Brisbane.

Li was a trailblazer for China last year, reaching a Grand Slam singles final for the first time before losing to Clijsters at Melbourne Park. At the next major, she won the French Open to become the first player from China to win a Grand Slam singles title.

"I hope I can go one better this year," Li said of her Australian Open campaign. She had a confidence-boosting buildup that included match wins at the Hopman Cup and Sydney.

Of the six women who can reach the top ranking, eighth-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska has the biggest task, having to win the Australian title. She had a battle on her hands just to make the second round, fending off American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-7 (10), 6-4, 6-2 in a three-hour match on Show Court 2.

Other women advancing included No. 16-seeded Peng Shuai of China, No. 20 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, No. 22 Julia Goerges, No. 26 Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain and Eleni Daniilidou of Greece beat 41-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan 6-3, 6-2.

No. 19 Flavia Pennetta, No. 23 Lucie Safarova and No. 28 Yanina Wickmayer were among the first-round losers.

Most of the local attention Monday was on 19-year-old Bernard Tomic, who rallied from two sets down to beat No. 22-seeded Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2, 7-5. A five-set win over the 2009 semifinalist will no doubt give Tomic a confidence boost as he attempts to become the first Australian man since 1976 to win the national title.

"Today wasn't fun, it was torture," said Tomic, who reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year. "I don't know how I found the energy to lift, how I did it, but I thank the crowd."

Eighth-seeded Mardy Fish, the highest ranked of the U.S. men, had a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win over Gilles Muller to progress along with 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, No. 7 Tomas Berdych, No. 10 Nicolas Almagro, No. 13 Alexandr Dolgopolov, No. 18 Feliciano Lopez, No. 21 Stanislas Wawrinka and No. 30 Kevin Anderson.

No. 25 Juan Monaco, No. 28 Ivan Ljubicic and No. 31 Jurgen Melzer joined Verdasco as other seeded players to lose.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-16-TEN-Australian-Open/id-04ac11b33081428bb4330d2302261f5c

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