Top seed Andrew Ilie earned a place in the second round of the XL Capital Bermuda Open with a display of brutal hitting against American youngster James Blake last night.

But Blake did well to live with the blazing groundstrokes of the Australian throughout a tight first set to the extent that Ilie had to save two set points before winning a tiebreaker.

The second set was a different story as the stocky Ilie found his range and overpowered Blake, to earn a 7-6, 6-1 triumph and a place against Alexander Popp in the second round.

Ilie said afterwards: "I was a little bit surprised at first by the pace of the court -- it plays faster than the other courts here.

"The first set was very tight, it could have gone either way. But I'm very confident at the moment and I'm just trying to follow up my good form.'' Top seed Ilie wins opener From Page 21 The first set was tight throughout and underdog Blake suffered misfortune at a crucial moment when he had a break point at 4-4, 30-40. Ilie's serve sounded to have caught the net cord, and the American made no attempt to play it.

But there was no let call from the umpire, despite protests from Blake and a sympathetic crowd.

The set continued to go with serve until the 11th game when Ilie put a routine backhand into the tramlines to give Blake a 6-5 lead and a chance to serve for the set.

That led to the tensest game of the match in which Blake saved two break points and then missed two set points before Ilie won it to force a tiebreaker.

The pugnacious Australian was by then pumped up with adrenalin and raced into a three-point lead with successive ferociously struck passes and eventually won the tiebreaker 7-2.

Ilie carried on in the same vein in the second set, breaking Blake twice as he romped into a 3-0 lead.

Blake broke back to temporarily rekindle his hopes but Ilie re-established his superiority with shots of sometimes almost unbelievable power to clinch the second set 6-1 and with it the match.

Open round-up YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Singles First round Gianluca Pozzi (2), Italy d Lorenzo Manta, Switzerland, 6-3, 6-3.

Michal Tabara, Czech Republic d Paul Kilderry, Australia, 6-0, 7-5.

Alexander Popp, Germany d Paradom Srichaphan, Thailand, 6-2, 6-3.

Andre Sa (4), Brazil d Fredrik Jonsson, Sweden, 6-0, 6-4.

Jiri Vanek (7), Czech Republic d Giorgio Galimberti, Italy, 6-1, 6-2.

Markus Hantschk (8), Germany d Mike Russell, US, 6-3, 7-6.

Ronald Agenor, Haiti, d Jeff Salzenstein, US, 6-2, 7-6 Andrew Ilie (1), Australia, d James Blake, US, 7-6, 6-1 Doubles First round T.Ketola/G.Williams v E.Abaroa/D.Roditi 6-4, 6-2 TODAY'S SCHEDULE Centre Court Leander Paes, India, v Sebastien Lareau, Canada, 11.30 a.m.

followed by Jason Stoltenberg, Australia, v Tomas Zib, Czech Republic Not before 3.00 p.m.: Agustin Calleri, Argentina, v Luis Horna, Peru Not before 6.30 p.m.: Richey Reneberg, US, v Todd Woodbridge, Australia followed by Pat Rafter/Paul Kilderry, Australia v J.Coetzee/B.Haygarth, South Africa Court Seven Jan Siemerink, Netherlands, v James Sekulov, Australia, 11.30 a.m.

followed by Sebastien Prieto, Argentina, v Nicolas Massu, Chile Not before 3.00 p.m.

Paes/Siemerink v Ketola/Williams Court Five Jan Kroslak, Slovakia, v Laurence Tieleman, Italy, 11.30 a.m.

Not before 1.00 p.m.

Coupe/Salzenstein v Greenhalgh/Ilie Not before 3.00 p.m.

Mariano Hood, Argentina, v Thierry Guardiola, France