Roger Federer barely broke sweat as he beat Croatian qualifier Zeljko Krajan 7-5 6-1 in the first round of Vienna's CA Trophy on Wednesday.

The Swiss sixth seed got off to a slow start but found his rhythm in the second set to wrap up the match in just over an hour.

Federer, who faces unseeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the next round, played much of the second set from the net, punching winners beyond his opponent's reach.

And he believes he is now in the form to take his third title of the year.

"I've always done well here in the past, so let's hope that this year it's enough to win," Federer said.

In other games, top seed Tommy Haas of Germany dropped the second set but overcame Russia's Mikhail Youzhny 6-2 2-6 7-5.

Rising star James Blake beat fellow American Vincent Spadea 3-6 6-2 6-3.

Spadea started well, but Blake showed more stamina and when he lowered his unforced error rate that had cost him the opening set, he took control.

Jiri Novak beat Guillermo Coria of Argentina 7-5 6-2, and another Czech, Radek Stepanek, needed two tie-breaks to see off Austria's Stefan Koubek 6-3 6-7 (3/7) 7-6 (7/1).

In the late evening match, Spanish fourth seed Carlos Moya was taken to a third set tiebreak by Argentine Agustin Calleri before going through 6-3 2-6 7-6.