MELBOURNE, Australia — After three back operations, Taylor Dent wondered if he'd ever play tennis again.

The operations to fix chronic pain caused by a fractured vertebrae spanned 2 1/2 years. Early on, doctors gave him a 20 percent chance of returning to the court.

But lying in bed for months, thinking of what he wanted to do with his life, only one idea prevailed.

"I was wracking my brain thinking of stuff I wanted to do, and honestly nothing gave me the fire in my belly like competing and playing professional tennis," Dent said. "So I said if I get the chance I'm going to take it, and I'm going to try to be better than I was."

He may be on his way to doing just that.

On Monday, Dent played in his first Grand Slam tournament since the 2006 Australian Open and managed five strong sets before losing to fellow American Amer Delic 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Dent, who has four ATP titles and reached a career-high No. 21, was pleased by "the fact that I was able to hold with him; I only got broken three times in five sets.

"I would have taken that four years ago," he said. "I think that's a great thing for me."

Dent is one of the few true serve-volleyers on the tour and has one of the fastest serves in the game.

Andy Roddick said he was glad to see Dent playing again.

"From the sounds of it, for a while, you didn't think he was going to come back with how severe his injuries were," Roddick said. "So it's a testament to him wanting to get back."

Dent, 27, is coached by his father, Australian former ATP player Phil Dent. His mother, Betty Ann Stuart, was a former top 10 player in the United States, and his wife is WTA Tour player Jennifer Hopkins.

Dent played with back pain for years before it became unbearable in early 2006, and he had his first surgery in May that year. The pain remained, however, and he had a second surgery in March 2007, followed by a successful third operation in September 2007.

His recovery has been long and frustrating. In 2008, he worked his way through tournaments every six to eight weeks to test his progress.

"It felt like I hit a wall there, where every time I was going out there I'd do great for a set, maybe a set and a half, then I'd be dead tired, just so, so beat," he said. "It took me a long time to get over that hump. Now I feel like I can last four sets, that's what I was training for."

He spent some of his recovery time as a commentator on The Tennis Channel and said being so close to the action also spurred him to return, admitting he was "bitter and jealous" watching the other men play. He made his competitive comeback in November.

SIBLINGS IN SYNCH: Russian brother and sister duo Marat Safin and Dinara Safina were in synch Monday, winning their first-round singles matches in straight sets during the same late-afternoon hour.

Safina, who lost in the first round here last year, easily advanced with a 6-1, 6-4 win over fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva. Safin, the 2005 champion, defeated Ivan Navarro of Spain 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

Safin, who said earlier this month at the Hopman Cup — where he and his sister lost in the final to Slovakia — that he would be retiring after this year, claimed he had no expectations for himself and was here just to enjoy himself.

"I don't want to get stressed. I don't want to plan anything. I want to play and be relaxed, no stress. Whatever comes, comes," Safin, 28, said. "At least I want to enjoy it. I don't want to suffer anymore ... I don't want to feel bad on the court anymore."

He said he has lost some of his passion for tennis as he got older and fought through injuries and losses.

"When you are young, 20 years old, 19 years old, you're coming, everything is new. It's exciting, come and play the big matches," he said. "With the years, you start to feel the pressure. "

After his tennis career, he said, he wants to just enjoy himself.

"Enjoy being out of tennis. See it in a different way," Safin said. "Watch tennis on TV, for example. Cheer for somebody else."

ANDY ON LANCE: Andy Roddick isn't surprised by all the hype surrounding his near-neighbor Lance Armstrong's return to competitive cycling.

While Roddick won his first-round match at the Australian Open on Monday, Armstrong was preparing to ride in the start of the Tour Down Under at Adelaide, about a 30-minute flight west of Melbourne.

"I live about two miles from Lance in Austin (Texas)," Roddick said. "I'm not really surprised. I mean, he's an icon pretty much wherever he goes."

Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer, has made awareness of the disease a big part of his message during his return to the sport after three years in retirement. Roddick figures Armstrong is very well-placed to do it — and generate a huge amount of interest in the Adelaide race as well.

"In the States, he's gotten into the political side of cancer research and fundraising," Roddick said. "He wears so many hats that I'm not really too surprised by it. This is his first comeback race, so I think that probably adds a little drama to it."

Some players at Melbourne Park are wearing hats and warmup jackets with Armstrong's "LiveStrong" logo on them.