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| June 2, 2002 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 20,1423 |
Agassi, women seeds move into last 16
PARIS, June 1: Andre Agassi won the generation game to advance to the last sixteen in the men’s singles at the French Open here on Saturday, as top women’s seeds Jennifer Capriati, Serena Williams and Jelena Dokic vied to see who would be fastest off court.
Agassi, at 32 years the oldest man remaining at Roland Garros, came away 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 winner against 20-year-old Spaniard Tommy Robredo, the tournament’s youngest male competitor and tipped to make a major impact in the sport.
Defending champion and top seed Capriati and Dokic, the seventh seed from Yugoslavia, stayed on course for a quarter-final showdown as both players eased through their third round matches.
The day after it was announced that Capriati would lose her world number one spot to fellow American Venus Williams at the end of this tournament, she showed her determination to hang on to her title with a clinical dismissal of Australian Evie Dominikovic 6-3, 6-1 in just 52 minutes.
“I feel I have to hold my crown,” said Capriati. “It’s like I’m fighting for my life here. It’s the most important thing for me.”
Dokic was on court for just two minutes longer before securing a 6-2, 6-3 win against Elena Likhovtseva of Russia.
They were joined by Williams, the number three seed from the United States, who took just 56 minutes to brush aside the challenge of Janette Husarova of Slovakia 6-1, 6-3.
She now faces Emilie Loit of France or Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik for a place in the quarter-finals while Capriati, who has yet to drop a set here, next meets Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder, seeded 20th, who defeated Uzbek 14th seed Iroda Tulyaganova 7-5, 7-6 (8/6).
In the men’s event, former champion Agassi, the fourth seed, showed no mercy for Robredo easing into the fourth round in 1hr 34min.
“This was a real big day for me,” said Agassi.
“I have a lot of respect for Tommy as a clay court player and this was a real good test for me. I had to play well and I feel great.”
The American now faces Paul-Henri Mathieu who became the first French wildcard to reach the fourth round since Henri Leconte in 1992 after he defeated number 14 seed Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
It was a good day for French wildcards as Mathieu was soon joined by Arnaud Di Pasquale who saw of Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
Dokic said she is determined to make up for last year’s disappointment when she was beaten in the third round by qualifier Petra Mandula of Hungary.
Capriati said she will get better as the French Open enters its second week.
“I think I will improve,” said Capriati.
“I was a break down in the first set and I didn’t want to go down 4-1 so I just stepped it up and played consistently well in the rest of the match.”
On Friday evening, Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo, the 10th seed, beat Spain’s Eva Bes 6-1, 6-1 on Friday to reach the last sixteen. She will now face Paola Suarez of Argentina in the next round.
However, Carlos Moya became the third former champion to exit but he warned against the up-and-coming generation of Argentine clay-court specialists.
The Spaniard, winner at Roland Garros in 1998, lost to Guillermo Canas 4-6 7-6 6-7 6-1 6-2 in the third round and said he had felt like he was playing against a rock.
MEN: Third round: 31-Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) beat Hicham Arazi (Morocco) 6-2 4-6 6-4 3-1, retired injured; Arnaud Di Pasquale (France) beat Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 6-4 6-3 6-3; Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) beat 14-Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-4 6-3; 4-Andre Agassi (U.S.) beat 25-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-2 6-4 6-2
WOMEN: Third round: Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) beat Emilie Loit (France) 6-0 6-1; Vera Zvonareva (Russia) beat Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 7-5; 3-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Janette Husarova (Slovakia) 6-1 6-3; Mary Pierce (France) beat Aniko Kapros (Hungary) 6-3 6-0; 20-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat 14-Iroda Tulyaganova (Uzbekistan) 7-5 7-6 (8-6); 9-Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) beat 17-Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) 6-0 7-6 (7-1); 7-Jelena Dokic (Yugoslavia) beat Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 6-2 6-3; 1-Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) beat Evie Dominikovic (Australia) 6-3 6-1
FRIDAY’S RESULTS:
WOMEN (Third round): 10-Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Eva Bes (Spain) 6-1 6-1
MEN (Third round): 22-Andrei Pavel (Romania) beat Albert Montanes (Spain) 6-1 1-6 6-4 6-3; 18-Alex Corretja (Spain) beat Arnaud Clement (France) 6-1 6-2 4-6 5-7 8-6.—AFP/Reuters
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