MONACO — Roger Federer made a successful season debut on clay Wednesday, beating Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-4, 6-4 to reach the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Federer wobbled briefly when serving for the match, going 30-40 down. But the second-ranked player got a reprieve when Seppi's return bounced out and Federer clinched the match when another Seppi return sailed long. It was Federer's first match since getting married last weekend.

"I am very happy to have won my first match on clay," said Federer, who can equal Pete Sampras for 14 major titles if wins the French Open for the first time. "It takes some time to adjust to the surface, the rebounds and the sliding."

Federer's win sets up a match Thursday against the 13th-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka — his doubles partner at the Beijing Olympics — who outlasted Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Federer said he began his clay-court preparations 10 days ago, and that Seppi was the ideal first test for him.

"I knew there was going to be some long rallies with Seppi. He's very steady off both sides," Federer said. "So on a good day he can be really dangerous. I've already played him twice this year, which was kind of good going into this match, knowing what to expect."

The biggest adjustment, Federer said, is getting used to clay's unpredictable bounce after playing on hard courts.

"We've been playing on hard court now for nine months ... you never see a bad bounce," Federer said. "So all of a sudden you're a little bit worried, sometimes hitting half volleys because they can bounce onto your frame."

Federer saved two break points in a patchy first set but clinically took his first chance on Seppi's serve in the ninth game to move 5-4 ahead. He took the opening set with a crisp backhand down the line.

The Swiss star, who married his longtime girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec in a small ceremony in his hometown of Basel on Saturday, broke Seppi in the opening game of the second set with another clinical backhand pass.

Federer has beaten Seppi three times this year and improved to 5-0 overall without dropping a set against the big-serving Italian player.

In other second-round matches Wednesday, there were straight-sets wins for the seventh-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain, No. 8 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, Simone Bolelli of Italy, and Albert Montanes of Spain.

Verdasco eased past Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-3, 6-4; Davydenko beat Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 6-4, 6-3; Bolelli beat Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 7-5, 6-3, and Montanes beat Jean-Rene Lisnard of Monaco 6-2, 6-4.