Kournikova Wins Adidas Match

<br>SYDNEY, Australia (AP) _ Anna Kournikova won her first-round match in straight sets Monday, advancing to a second-round showdown with Serena Williams in the Adidas International. <br><br>Kournikova

Monday, January 7th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) _ Anna Kournikova won her first-round match in straight sets Monday, advancing to a second-round showdown with Serena Williams in the Adidas International.

Kournikova beat Angeles Montolio of Spain 6-4, 6-2.

``Right now, the most important thing is being healthy and getting into shape and just to feel well _ to get to the level where I was before my injury,'' said Kournikova, who was sidelined for eight months last year with a foot injury.

Williams, ranked No. 6 in the world, will be playing her first match of the season against Kournikova, who reached the semifinals of the ASB Bank Classic in New Zealand last week.

``It's going to be a new kind of match for both of us, for me to play a top player and for her to play her first match of the year,'' Kournikova said.

Amanda Coetzer of South Africa beat wildcard Jaslyn Hewitt of Australia 6-0, 6-1. Hewitt is the sister of men's world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.

American Alexandra Stevenson beat Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan 6-1, 7-6 (5).

In the men's competition, Wayne Ferreira of South Africa ousted fifth-seeded Arnaud Clement of France 6-2, 6-4, and Lee Hyung-taik of South Korea defeated seventh-seeded Carlos Moya of Spain 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4). Max Mirnyi of Belarus defeated Australian Davis Cup finalist Wayne Arthurs 7-5, 7-6 (4).

In the evening, American Andy Roddick beat Australia's Andrew Ilie 6-4, 6-4.

Roddick, who won three titles in 2001, was granted a wildcard entry and then elevated to the third seeding when Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero withdrew last week.