KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Venus Williams saved her best for last: a delicate drop shot on match point that floated over the net, kissed the court and bounced back toward her, beyond the reach of pesky Eva Dyrberg.

That gave Williams a ragged 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory Saturday in the Nasdaq-100 Open.

The match was the defending champion's first since Feb. 22, and the rust showed in her slow start and 40 unforced errors. Among the scattershot strokes was one serve that landed in front of the net -- the tennis equivalent of a free-throw air ball.

"Too much spin," Williams explained with a sheepish laugh. "When I try to put too much spin and come down on it, the results are devastating for me."

Dyrberg, a qualifier from Denmark, appeared capable of an upset at 2-2 in the second set. But she wilted in the Florida sunshine, and Williams settled down to win 10 of the final 11 games.

"If you haven't played in a couple of weeks, at times you can be a little bit rusty," Williams said. "You can't get your feet to move, no matter how much you beg them."

Also advancing in her opening match was No. 1-seeded Jennifer Capriati, the current leader in her back-and-forth battle with Williams atop the WTA Tour rankings. She beat Eleni Daniilidou 6-0, 6-3.

Upsets eliminated No. 13 Daniela Hantuchova and No. 6 Justine Henin.

Hantuchova, who won her first title last week at Indian Wells, was beaten by Cara Black 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. The 18-year-old Slovakian committed 50 unforced errors, including 10 in the final four games, all of which she lost.

Henin, the runner-up at Wimbledon last year, was defeated by Anna Smashnova 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-4.

In men's play, top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt edged Paradorn Srichaphan 7-6 (3), 7-5. Hewitt's next opponent will be No. 27 Jan-Michael Gambill, the runner-up to Andre Agassi last year, who advanced by beating qualifier Andre Sa 7-5, 6-3.

No. 6 Marat Safin defeated Mark Philippoussis 7-6 (4), 6-1. Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson eliminated Arnaud Clement 6-3, 6-4.

Two American men lost. Qualifier Jeff Morrison was beaten by No. 12 Roger Federer 6-1, 7-6 (6). Marcelo Rios, the 1998 champion, defeated Mardy Fish 6-2, 6-4.

Williams' match was originally scheduled for Friday but postponed because of rain, costing her a day off Saturday.

"It's disappointing," she said. "I would have hit the beach. I live in Florida but I never get to the beach."

Williams lives up the road in Palm Beach Gardens and has dominated her backyard tournament, winning 19 consecutive matches at Key Biscayne. She missed the 2000 event because of injury but won titles in 1998, 1999 and 2001.

"Green's my favorite color," she said, referring to the stadium backdrop -- or perhaps to the $385,000 first prize.