ESPN Tennis

LONDON -- Mark Philippoussis had a successful return from a three-month absence. Fellow Australian Lleyton Hewitt did the same, but in less convincing fashion.

The top seed and a three-time champion, Hewitt rallied for a 6-7 (3), 7-5, 7-5 triumph over Xavier Malisse of Belgium on Tuesday in the second round of the Stella Artois Championships.

Hewitt, who is playing doubles with Philippoussis here, had not played since losing the Indian Wells final to world No. 1 Roger Federer in early March due to toe and rib woes.

Hewitt next will face either Italian Davide Sanguinetti or No. 15 Max Mirnyi of Belarus, a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-2 winner over Czech Tomas Berdych on Tuesday.

Philippoussis, who had not played in three months since suffering a left ankle injury at the NASDAQ-100 Open in March, needed just 62 minutes to beat Raemon Sluiter of the Netherlands in a first-round match, 6-4, 6-0.

"It was the first match back after a while," Philippoussis said. "I think the key was just to come in there with just a positive mind and try and have a good start, keep on my toes. Obviously, I haven't played for a while, so I was just eager to be out there."

Philippoussis, whose ranking has slipped to No. 189 and needed a wild card to gain entry here, next will face second-seeded American Andy Roddick, who -- like the other top eight seeds -- had a first-round bye. The powerful servers never have met previously.

Roddick is the two-time defending champion at the $805,700 grass-court event. He lost in the second round of the French Open to Argentine Jose Acasuso two weeks ago after blowing a two-set lead.

Seeded first-round winners included No. 9 Taylor Dent of the United States and No. 10 Richard Gasquet of France. Dent beat German Tomas Behrend, 6-4, 6-3, while Gasquet defeated Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, 6-1, 7-6 (3).