The country's top player led Germany's Simon Greul by one set when rain suspended play for 30 minutes. Things started going in favour of the German when play resumed. Greul dictated play and wrapped up the match 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 6-3.

 "If it wasn't for the rain, the match would have been in my hands. He played better after the rain," bemoaned Danai, whose match was delayed for several hours.

"I had to warm up several times. It's not easy to find the rhythm with the rain coming and going like that," said Danai, who started to move awkwardly after the first set due to an injury to his left knee which he picked up last week in a Challenger event.

"The injury recurred when I sprinted and stopped. So I couldn't run and couldn't serve the way I would have wanted to," added Danai, who gave a hint that he might have to skip the Davis Cup tie against Japan in Osaka between April 6-8.

"At least I need to take rest for one week because this injury is quite serious. I'm going to see a doctor on Saturday and I'll find out how long I have to stop," the Thai No 1 said.

The Thai Davis Cup squad had earlier suffered a big blow when Paradorn Srichaphan announced his withdrawal in the second round tie to rest his injured right wrist. If Danai withdraws, it will be like rubbing salt into the wounds of the Thai team, which must rely on inexperienced players to deliver against the more powerful Japan.

Meanwhile in Miami, Venus Williams, unseeded as she plays just her second tournament of 2007, overcame a slow start to reach the second round.

Williams opened the evening session on Stadium Court with a 7-5 6-2 victory over Yuliana Fedak of Ukraine.

Williams eked out the first set despite 31 unforced errors.

"It was definitely a really interesting day on the court," she said. "Started out with a few errors. It was really windy conditions, and she's definitely a particularly difficult player to play against in the wind because she doesn't put a lot of pace on the ball so the ball is constantly moving.

"So it was definitely challenging. Even though I got down, I didn't feel like I was going to lose the match at all, I just felt like I just needed to find my timing."

Williams said that even as she trailed in the first set, she thought she could come back.

"At four-love, I was thinking 'Hold, break, hold - it's even,'" she said. "I felt really confident. It was definitely a set I could win, just keep some balls in."

A three-time Wimbledon winner and two-time US Open champion, Williams has been nursing an injured left wrist since last October.

The US star has appeared in only one tournament this season, winning the WTA tier three event in Memphis last month.

The 26-year-old, who has committed to the US Fed Cup tie against Belgium in April, said her wrist was "doing good."

Williams faces 29th-seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko in the second round. The top 32 seeds received first-round byes.

Unseeded Russian Yaroslava Shvedova, who won her maiden WTA singles title at Bangalore last month, beat Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-3 6-1 to reach the second round.

In other early first round matches on Thursday, Taiwan's Chan Yung-jan defeated Nuria Llaagostera Vives of Spain 6-2 6-3 and Kaia Kanepi of Estonia beat Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4 6-4.

In the men's draw, Argentine Guillermo Canas ousted Britain's Tim Henman, 3-6 6-2 6-1 in first-round clash.

Canas returned from a 15-month drug suspension in September and has been playing his way back into form.

The 29-year-old caused a sensation two weeks ago when he ousted world No 1 Roger Federer in the second round at Indian Wells, ending the mighty Swiss player's 41-match winning streak.