Blake eases past Moya

MELBOURNE, Jan 16 (Reuters) Fifth seed James Blake continued his fine run of form with a 7-6 6-2 6-4 win over experienced Spaniard Carlos Moya in the Australian Open first round today.

American Blake, who beat Moya in last week's Sydney International final, dominated the match from the start, reeling off a succession of winners and serving consistently.

Moya, the former French Open champion and 1997 Australian Open runner-up, could not live with the pace and power of Blake, who broke the Spaniard's serve to move 5-4 ahead in the third set before clinching victory on his first match point.

REUTERS DH RN1538