SportsLine wire reports

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Only two men survived the shipwreck of the Spanish Armada at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

On a disastrous day for one of the world's most consistent tennis nations, fourth seed Carlos Moya led a group of 10 Spaniards out of the men's draw in the year's first Grand Slam.

With world number one Pete Sampras and Chilean baseliner Marcelo Rios missing the tournament, the Spanish had been tipped for success at Melbourne Park.

But after the first round only two of 14 men remain, including second seed Alex Corretja who only just survived against Japanese wildcard Takao Suzuki in five sets on Monday.

THE OTHER SPANISH SURVIVOR is Julian Alonso, who beat Canada's Sebastien Lareau 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday. Alonso, 21, will be Czech champion Petr Korda's second-round opponent on Thursday.

Moya, the French Open champion and 1997 runner-up to Sampras in Melbourne, fell 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 to German dangerman Nicolas Kiefer after completely failing to impose himself on the match.

Moya said he was suffering from the effects of a virus picked up at the Hopman Cup in Perth two weeks ago and lacked the confidence to do anything but hang around the baseline in hope.

"I mean, if I have no confidence on the baseline, how can I have confidence at the net?" Moya asked.

Other Spanish losers on Tuesday included 12th-seeded claycourter Albert Costa, who fell in four sets to Czech Martin Damm, and Felix Mantilla, beaten by Morocco's Younes El Aynaoui.

"It happens, you know," said Moya. ``We had a bad day.''

THE MOST WATCHED SPANISH loser was 22-year-old Galo Blanco, beaten in five sets by Korda despite the Czech twisting his ankle mid-match. Blanco refused to shake Korda's hand, accusing Korda of faking the injury to gain a few minutes rest.

Fortunately for their country, Spain's women fared better, fourth seed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario leading unseeded compatriots Magui Serna and Virginia Ruano Pascual into the second round.

There they joined ninth seed Conchita Martinez and Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo, who won on Monday.