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| January 16, 2003 | Thursday | Ziqa'ad 12, 1423 |
Agassi blasts Lee as Venus sparkles
MELBOURNE, Jan 15: Andre Agassi swept into the Australian Open third round here on Wednesday as Venus Williams donned her best jewellery to produce a sparkling victory.
Agassi, seeded two, needed just 80 minutes to blast aside South Korean challenger Lee Hyung-Taik with a 6-1, 6-0, 6-0 win.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner will play French Davis Cup star and 29th seed Nicolas Escude in the next round.
Agassi is bidding to become only the fourth man to win four Australian Open titles, behind Roy Emerson (6), Jack Crawford (4) and Ken Rosewall (4).
Agassi’s counterpart in the women’s tournament, the second seeded Williams, came up with a vastly-improved display as she beat lowly-ranked American Ansley Cargill 6-3, 6-0.
While Venus and Agassi sailed into the third round there were notable casualties in the men’s tournament, with Spanish fifth seed Carlos Moya unhinged by world number 77 Mardy Fish of the United States.
Fish reeled in his opponent 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. He will play South African Wayne Ferreira in the next round after a win which removes a sizeable obstacle from Agassi’s route to a fourth Australian Open crown.
Another name to come a cropper was Thailand’s in-form 11th seed Paradorn Srichaphan, who was beaten by Australia’s Mark Philippoussis 3-6, 6-1, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Paradorn was bidding for his ninth victory in 10 matches after a terrific start to the year coming off his Indian Open title in Chennai earlier this month.
There was a further upset in the men’s tournament with Olympic champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov suffering a five-set loss to Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen.
Nieminen sent the Russian 22nd seed and former winner packing with a 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1 victory.
Two other prominent seeds both made it through safely, with No 4 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain and compatriot Albert Costa, seeded eight, advancing.
Ferrero downed Jean-Rene Lisnard of France 6-0, 6-4, 6-2, while Costa needed four sets before quelling Aussie hope Scott Draper 6-4, 6-7 (9-11), 6-2, 6-3.
In the women’s event, there was an early exit for Russian glamour girl Anna Kournikova, who was thrashed 6-0, 6-1 by Belgium’s Justin Henin-Hardenne, seeded five.
Seventh-seed Daniela Hantuchova’s looks, meanwhile, have seen her get the ‘Kournikova treatment’ from the international media during her time on the tour.
But the Slovakian seventh seed showed nerves of steel to come through in three sets against Italy’s Adriana Serra Zanetti, winning 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-3) to earn her place in the third round.
Lindsay Davenport breathed a sigh of relief after scrambling past Uzbekistan’s Iroda Tulyaganova to win 6-7 (7-9) 6-4, 7-5.
Second round results: Men’s singles:
Mark Philipoussis (Australia) bt 11-Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 3-6, 6-1, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3; Mario Ancic (Croatia) bt 16-Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 (10-12), 6-4, 6-4; 29-Nicolas Escude (France) bt Christophe Rochus (Belgium) 1-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4; Mardy Fish (US) bt 5-Carlos Moya (Spain) 3-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Guillermo Coria (Argentina) bt 14-Guillermo Canas (Argentina) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Peter Luczak (Australia) bt Renzo Furlan (Italy) 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-0, 6-2; Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) bt 22-Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1; 28-Fabrice Santoro (France) bt Wayne Arthurs (Australia) 6-3, 6-1 — retired; Sargis Sargsian (Armenia) bt 17-Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2; 2-Andre Agassi (US) bt Lee Hyung-taik (South Korea) 6-1, 6-0, 6-0; 24-Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) bt David Sanchez (Spain) 6-1, 6-0, 2-6, 6-2; Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) bt Michel Kratochvil (Switzerland) 6-2, 6-2, 7-5; 4-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) bt Jean-Rene Lisnard (France) 6-0, 6-4, 6-2; 8-Albert Costa (Spain) bt Scott Draper (Australia) 6-4, 6-7 (9-11), 6-2, 6-3; 12-Sebastien Grosjean (France) bt Karol Kucera (Slovakia) 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1); Felix Mantilla (Spain) bt 27-Jan-Michael Gambill (US) 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Women’s singles: 2-Venus Williams (US) bt Ansley Cargill (US) 6-3, 6-0; 9-Lindsay Davenport (US) bt Iroda Tulyaganova (Uzbekistan) 6-7 (7-9), 6-4, 7-5; Evie Dominikovic (Australia) bt 22-Anne Kremer (Luxembourg) 6-1, 6-4; 24-Tatiana Panova (Russia) bt Akiko Morigami (Japan) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4; 5-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) bt Anna Kournikova (Russia) 6-0, 6-1; 7-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) bt Adrianna Serra Zanetti (Italy) 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-3); Nadia Petrova (Russia) bt 21-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) 6-4, 6-4; 12-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) bt Marta Marrero (Spain) 6-3, 6-1; Nicole Pratt (Australia) bt 13-Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) 6-3, 6-2; Anca Barna (Germany) bt 27-Lisa Raymond (US) 6-3, 6-1; Samantha Stosur (Australia) bt Vanessa Webb (Canada) 6-4, 6-1; 23-Paola Suarez (Argentina) bt Tathiana Garbin (Italy) 6-0, 3-0 — retired; Marlene Weingartner (Germany) bt Stephanie Foretz (France) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2; Virginie Ruano Pascual (Spain) bt 30-Janette Husarova (Slovakia) 5-7, 7-5, 6-0; Denisa Chladkova (Czech Republic) bt 15-Alexandra Stevenson (US) 6-2, 6-2; 32-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) bt Virginie Razzano (France) 6-1, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3.—AFP/Reuters
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