March 25, 2003	Tuesday	Muharram 21, 1424

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MIAMI (Florida), March 24: Serena and Venus Williams continued their march towards the final of the Nasdaq-100 Open on Sunday as eight of the women’s top ten seeds claimed places in the last 16.

The tournament’s fifth day was also another successful one for United States players.

Seven Americans won their third-round matches and the country is guaranteed at least one semi-finalist.

Tatiana Panova was outclassed by the top seed and defending champion Serena Williams and the Russian won only three games in a 6-2 6-1 defeat that lasted just 55 minutes.

Williams will play Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan, who she beat here two years ago, in the fourth round on Monday.

Serena’s sister Venus, winner in Miami in 1998 and 1999, played only three points prior to a 75-minute rain delay before returning to beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi of Switzerland 6-3 6-2.

Belgian Kim Clijsters, seeded three, also enjoyed unheeded passage as she eliminated Paolo Suarez of Argentina 6-2 6-2.

Sunday’s other big-name winners were Justine Henin-Hardenne, Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Amelie Mauresmo and Jelena Dokic.

Clijsters, a winner in Indian Wells a week ago, has dropped only eight games in her two matches so far.

Capriati will face a stern challenge from one of the rising stars of American tennis in the fourth round.

Sarah Taylor, ranked only 85th in the world and a wild card entrant here, defeated a top-20 player for the second time in two days to set up a meeting with the sixth seed.

The 21-year-old Taylor beat Japan’s 17th seed Ai Sugiyama 2-6 6-4 6-3 to follow up her success a day earlier against Anastasia Myskina.

Capriati, runner-up in Miami for the last two years, raced to beat the black clouds hanging low over Crandon Park’s Stadium Court as she eliminated fellow American Laura Granville 7-6 6-0.

Against Granville, and in her win over qualifier Anastassia Rodionova on Saturday, Capriati was taken to a first-set tiebreak before cruising through the second.

Four Americans fill Capriati’s section of the draw. Meghann Shaughnessy, who impressed in her 6-4 6-4 win over 13th seed Magdelena Maleeva, will play Venus Williams for a quarter-final place.

Belgian Henin-Hardenne, the fourth seed, beat Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand 6-2 6-0 and will play on Monday against Marlene Weingarter.

Results

Third round: Serena Williams bt Tatiana Panova 6-2 6-1; Lindsay Davenport bt Flavia Pennetta 6-4 2-6 6-1; Meghann Shaughnessy bt Magdalena Maleeva 6-4 6-0; Marlene Weingartner bt Eleni Daniilidou 7-6 (8-6) 6-3; Anna Pistolesi bt Lisa Raymond 4-6 6-2 6-4; Alicia Molik bt Elena Likhovtseva 7-6 (9-7) 6-3; Iroda Tulyaganova bt Nicole Pratt 4-6 6-1 6-3; Marion Bartoli bt Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo 6-2 7-5; Kim Clijsters bt Paola Suarez 6-2 6-2; Jelena Dokic bt Nathalie Dechy 6-3 6-2; Amelie Mauresmo bt Clarisa Fernandez 6-2 6-0; Chanda Rubin bt Katarina Srebotnik 6-2 6-2; Justine Henin-Hardenne bt Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-2 6-0; Jennifer Capriati bt Laura Granville 7-6 (7-4) 6-0; Sarah Taylor bt Ai Sugiyama 2-6 6-4 6-3; Venus Williams bt Emmanuelle Gagliardi 6-1 6-2—Reuters