World No. 1 Federer was playing for the first time since his 41-match winning streak was snapped by Argentina’s Guillermo Canas on March 11 at the ATP Masters Series tournament at Indian Wells, California.

With another Masters Series title on the line at this $ 6.9 million men’s and women’s hardcourt tournament, Federer was pleased just to get past the first hurdle.

He said rainy weather had made it hard to stick to his normal tournament routine as he waited for his opening match, which came four days into the event.

‘’I’m just happy I came through, because I didn’t know what to expect tonight,’’ Federer said. ‘’I didn’t know my opponent. I’ve known since a long time when I’m going to play, So (there were) kind of a bit of expectations, too, from the fans and everybody. So I’m happy I’m through, and I think I played OK, actually.’’

Federer could meet Canas again in the round of 16. The Argentinian defeated 19th-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-5.

Women’s top seed Maria Sharapova of Russia, playing her first match in 11 days, dispatched Yung-Jan Chan of Taiwan 6-3, 6-2 to set up a third-round clash with unseeded Venus Williams, a 6-3, 6-3 winner over Russian Maria Kirilenko.

On a day where rain suspended play for a total of more than six hours, Sharapova cruised through her first match since losing to Vera Zvonareva in a fourth-round matchup in Indian Wells.

‘’It was a little bit up and down,’’ Sharapova said of her game. ‘’I felt like I was in control. I was happy that with the break points she had, I was able to come up with a good defensive play.

‘’Overall, it’s the first match. It’s never completely there,’’ Sharapova added. ‘’But I’m sure it will get better.’’

Venus Williams had won the first set from Kirilenko and dropped a game in the second when rain stopped play for several hours.

The delay meant her sister, 13th-seeded Australian Open champion Serena, took the court hours later than scheduled, but she took the wait in stride and posted a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Russian Anastasia Rodionova.

Serena said the long wait wasn’t a problem.

‘’I’ve played night matches before,’’ she said. ‘’It was just a long rain delay. But it didn’t really bother me too much.

‘’I just sat down, and I got on the computer, and I sat down, and I ate something, and I sat down. That was about it.’’

When she did finally get on court, she said the weather conditions were ‘’weird.’’

‘’It was windy, then it wasn’t windy, and then it was, like, side wind. Then at some points there wasn’t any wind at all. And it was very humid. So it was very strange.’’

However, she was glad to be back in action for the first time since her unexpected Australian Open triumph.

‘’It feels good,’’ she said. ‘’I’m so ready. I’ve been training every day - and I’m tired of it. The easiest part of tennis is playing the tournaments for me.’’

Defending women’s champion and third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia reached the third round with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 victory over Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine.

A year ago, Kuznetsova beat Sharapova, 6-4, 6-3, in the final here for her biggest victory since her 2004 US Open triumph.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, fifth-seeded Martina Hingis of Switzerland advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Czech Iveta Benesova.

Eighth-seeded Nicole Vaidisova of Russia also advanced, downing Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

On the men’s side, seventh-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia beat Filippo Volandri of Italy 6-3, 6-2, while lucky loser Alejandro Falla of Colombia surprised German ninth seed Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-4.