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| June 27, 2003 | Friday | Rabi-us-Sani 26,1424 |
Ageless Agassi rolls on as Capriati and Serena prosper
LONDON, June 26: US second seed Andre Agassi showed his class in motoring through to the third round of the men’s singles at Wimbledon on Thursday with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 win over Germany’s Lars Burgsmuller.
The 1992 champion booked a meeting with 27th seed and fellow thirtysomething Younes El Aynaoui of Morocco, who saw off Chile’s Nicolas Massu 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.
As Agassi began to settle into a grassy groove with two matches behind him defending women’s champion Serena Williams likewise advanced, drilling Belgian Els Callens 6-4, 6-4 in 65min.
French and Australian Open titlist Jennifer Capriati, the US eighth seed, meanwhile swatted Swiss youngster Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian 6-2, 6-1.
Agassi said he was satisfied his game is coming to the boil.
“I’m doing what I need to do. As the tournament goes on everyone needs to pick it up. You need to be sure your game is at its best when it has to be,” said the Las Vegan, at 33 the oldest man ever to be ranked number one.
Joining Agassi in the last 32 was the sole British survivor, 10th seed Tim Henman, who whipped French qualifier Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 on a sun-bathed centre court to set up a clash with another qualifier, Sweden’s Robin Soderling.
While world number one Agassi has done it all before, winning eight Slam crowns and tasting success in all four of the Majors, Henman has to shoulder the burden of 67 years of history.
Not since Fred Perry lifted the trophy in 1936 has a British man won the event.
Henman said he had to forget about four lost semi-finals - especially the 2001 loss at the hands of Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia.
“I look back at that match and reflect on it a lot. I ask myself should I have done anything differently. The answer is no.
“It’s business as usual,” smiled Henman, who is once again carrying the hopes of a nation alone following Greg Rusedski’s loss to US fifth seed Andy Roddick on Wednesday.
“I think where I’ll have the biggest impact for British tennis is if I keep winning - and hopefully win this tournament one day.”
Soderling, an 18-year-old ranked 155 in the world, ousted Belgian qualifier Gilles Elseneer 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, 6-3.
Last year’s beaten finalist, Argentine sixth seed David Nalbandian, was delighted after overcoming Brazil’s Andre Sa 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.
“I think I feel better this year. I know I feel great and I know how to continue like this to beat anybody,” said the 21-year-old.
Back among the women, French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, the Belgian third seed, overcame a slow start to move past Italy’s Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (7/2), 6-1 and book a meeting with Australian Alicia Molik.
Henin-Hardenne’s potential last eight rival Capriati, a semi-finalist aged just 15 on her 1991 debut and a quarter-finalist last year, says she feels redy for anyone after beating Mikaelian on the seeds’ “graveyard court” of court two.
“I felt I kept the momentum going today,” said Capriati, who dismissed the idea that the court two jinx might strike.
“I don’t really think about that - I don’t believe in that,” said the 27-year-old New Yorker, who now meets Japan’s Akiko Morigami.
Spain’s 1994 champion Conchita Martinez proved she is still a force to be reckoned with at the age of 31 as she beat Barbara Schett of Austria 6-2, 6-4.
Martinez now goes up against Russian tenth seed Anastasia Myskina, who defeated compatriot Lina Krasnoroutskaya 6-1, 6-4.
Canadian-born Frenchwoman Mary Pierce beat Greek 14th seed Eleni Daniilidou 6-4, 6-1 and now plays US 24th seed Lisa Raymond, who blitzed Marlene Weingartner of Germany 6-3, 6-0.
“I’m happy to be here, happy to be healthy. Imagine what it’s like not being able to go to work for two years,” said Pierce, who having won the Australian Open in 1995 and the French Open in 2000 saw her career threatened by shoulder tendonitis and a chronic spine inflammation.
Thursday’s results (prefix number denotes seedings):
Men’s singles:
Second round: Alexander Popp (Germany) beat Raemon Sluiter (Netherlands) 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; 35-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat Scott Draper (Australia) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-1; Wesley Moodie (South Africa) beat Frederic Niemeyer (Canada) 7-6 (10-8), 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5; 2-Andre Agassi (US) beat Lars Burgsmueller (Germany) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; Sargis Sargsian (Armenia) beat 26-James Blake (US) 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2; Mark Philippoussis (Australia) beat Cyril Saulnier (France) 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2); Karol Kucera (Slovakia) beat Takao Suzuki (Japan) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2; 27-Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) beat Nicolas Massu (Chile) 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; 11-Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-2, 7-5, 6-3; 10-Tim Henman (Britain) beat Michael Llodra (France) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; Olivier Rochus (Belgium) beat Anthony Dupuis (France) 2-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; 6-David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Andre Sa (Brazil) 6-2, 7-5, 6-2; 30-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Stefano Galvani (Italy) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3); Robin Soderling (Sweden) beat Gilles Elseneer (Belgium) 2-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4, 6-3.
Women’s singles:
Second round: 28-Laura Granville (US) beat Tatiana Perebiynis (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-3; 1-Serena Williams (US) beat Els Callens (Belgium) 6-4, 6-4; Alicia Molik (Australia) beat 31-Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 6-3, 6-4; Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat 21-Elena Bovina (Russia) 6-3, 6-1; 33-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Cho Yoon-jeong (South Korea) 7-6, 6-4; 11-Jelena Dokic (Yugoslavia) beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) 6-1, 6-3; 3-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) beat Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 7-6 (7-2), 6-1; 18-Conchita Martinez (Spain) beat Barbara Schett (Austria) 6-2, 6-4; Aniko Kapros (Hungary) beat Martina Sucha (Slovakia) 6-0, 6-4; Akiko Morigami (Japan) beat Karolina Sprem (Croatia) 6-3, 6-3; 8-Jennifer Capriati (US) beat Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian (Switzerland) 6-2, 6-1; 15-Elena Dementieva (Russia) beat Arantxa Parra (Spain) 6-1, 6-1; 23-Lisa Raymond (US) beat Marlene Weingartner (Germany) 6-3, 6-0; Emilie Loit (France) beat Maria Elena Camerin (Italy) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; Mary Pierce (France) beat 14-Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 6-4, 6-1; 10-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat Lina Krasnoroutskaya (Russia) 6-1, 6-4.—AFP/Reuters
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