ROME -- For all of his success, Andre Agassi has never won the Italian Open. He did make the final once, in 1989 -- when Andy Roddick was just 6.

Roddick followed Agassi onto center court at the Foro Italico on Monday, and both picked up straight-set victories in the first round of the Tennis Masters Series clay-court event.

The 32-year-old Agassi beat Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 6-2, before Roddick eliminated Alex Calatrava 6-2, 6-3 in the French Open tuneup.

At night, No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt also dropped just five games en route to the next round, eliminating Jonas Bjorkman 6-2, 6-3.

Defending champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, Pete Sampras and three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten play Tuesday.

"It's a tournament I came very close to winning one time," said Agassi, who lost that '89 final to Alberto Mancini. "So to win here many years later would be a pretty good accomplishment."

The owner of seven Grand Slam tournament titles looked at ease in his first European clay-court match of the season, displaying his usual array of baseline winners and passing shots.

"I came here feeling pretty good about the way I was playing on the clay," the ninth-seeded Agassi said. "But the first one is always difficult. Nicolas helped me with some unforced errors, and that always helps you settle into a match."

Kiefer committed 29 unforced errors to Agassi's 18.

After one passing shot by Agassi early in the second set, Kiefer glared at his racket as if there were a gaping hole in it. One point later, the German changed rackets -- but it didn't help.

Agassi took control right away, breaking Kiefer in the match's opening game, then closed it out with consecutive breaks.

Agassi said the red clay used at this tournament was playing a little more quickly than usual, which suits his game.

That could be bad news for the rest of the field, as Agassi seems intent on winning one of the few significant titles lacking from his resume.

The 13th-seeded Roddick, meanwhile, seems primed to compile his own impressive list of triumphs.

Last month, he defeated Pete Sampras in the final of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship. At the time, Sampras said the young player would contend at the French Open, which starts May 27, and for years to come.

After ending Monday's match against Calatrava by serving out the final game at love, Roddick said he is more focused than in 2001, when he reached the third round at the French Open and Wimbledon and the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open.

"I'm in much better shape this year," Roddick said after his Rome debut. "I haven't really gotten tired at many matches."

In other action Monday, 2000 U.S. Open champion Marat Safin overpowered Alberto Martin 6-2, 6-2. The sixth-seeded Safin, who never has advanced past the second round in Rome, controlled the match, whipping groundstrokes from inside the baseline to improve to 4-0 against Martin.

In three minor upsets, Greg Rusedski lost to wild-card entry Stefano Galvani, 15th-seeded Guillermo Canas fell to Markus Hipfl, and 16th-seeded Alex Corretja lost to Giorgio Galimberti.

Monday's winners also included Carlos Moya, Mark Philippoussis, Sebastian Grosjean, and Ivan Ljubicic.