20 January 2005	Thursday	09 Zilhaj 1425

MELBOURNE, Jan 19: Svetlana Kuznetsova shrugged off a drug controversy to advance at the Australian Open on Wednesday along with favourite Serena Williams as world number one Roger Federer eased into the third round.

US Open champion Kuznetsova, at the centre of a doping storm after testing positive for the stimulant ephedrine at an exhibition event last month, brushed aside France's Marion Bartoli 6-2, 6-0 at Melbourne Park.

In the men's draw, red-hot Swiss favourite Federer, four-time former champion Andre Agassi and last year's beaten finalist Marat Safin of Russia all swept through in straight sets.

Federer, the defending champion, encountered stiffer-than-expected resistance from Japanese qualifier Takao Suzuki en route to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win on the Rod Laver Arena centre court.

The top seed was also jolted by going a break down in the first set, before recovering swiftly by reeling off four games on the trot, producing some exquisite shots along the way.

Federer, who now faces Finland's Jarkko Nieminen in the last 32, said he had needed to be at the top of his game against Suzuki. Federer laced his performance with some dazzling stroke play, including one remarkable running forehand which he caressed around the net post to win a break of serve for a 5-4 lead in the second set.

Earlier Wednesday, Agassi demolished Rainer Schuettler of Germany 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 while Safin raced to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 victory over Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic. Agassi, at 34 the oldest man in the field, was beaming after coming through another match without any problems from a hip injury which had been troubling him in the days leading up to the tournament.

Kuznetsova, meanwhile, showed that the drug furore which has dominated the early days of the Open had not seriously affected her by downing Bartoli in 40 one-sided minutes. In other matches, women's favourite Serena Williams was a similarly emphatic winner when she overwhelmed Dally Randriantefy of Madagascar 6-3, 6-0.

Williams will now play India's Sania Mirza in the next round on Friday. Wildcard entrant Mirza created history by becoming the first woman from India to reach a grand slam third round by beating Hungary's Petra Mandula 6-2, 6-1.

"I'm really looking forward to finding out hard she hits the ball," said 18-year-old Mirza of her match-up with Williams. But while Williams and Kuznetsova were cruising, other women's seeds found the going harder.

France's world number two Amelie Mauresmo and fourth seeded Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova both survived scares to avoid joining a clutch of seeded players who were dumped out.

Mauresmo, chasing her first grand slam title, was forced to fight back from a set down before overpowering Russian teenager Dinara Safina 2-6, 6-1, 6-0 to advance to the third round.

Sharapova was given a fright by lowly-ranked American Lindsay Lee-Waters, the world No. 87, before coming through 4-6, 6-0, 6-3. The 17-year-old prodigy couldn't hide her relief after securing the win, which sets up a third-round meeting with China's Li Na on Friday.

"It was an amazing match. Both of us gave it all we've got, in the third set we just fought for every single ball," Sharapova said. "In the end it was just a matter of a few points."

But other seeds were not so lucky. Japan's 28th seed Shinobu Asagoe lost to China's Li, while Russian ninth seed Vera Zvonareva crashed 6-3, 6-3 to compatriot Vera Douchevina.

Li, who made history last year by becoming the first Chinese player to win a title on the WTA Tour when she won in Guangzhou, advanced to the third round after downing Asagoe 6-3, 6-4 in 1hr 7min.

It was the latest in a series of notable results by Chinese women, who have come from nowhere in the past decade to establish themselves on the international circuit. Seventeenth seed and last year's semi-finalist Fabiola Zuluaga of Colombia meanwhile was bundled out by Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany 6-2, 7-6 (7/2).

RESULTS:

WOMEN'S SINGLES

SECOND ROUND: Evgenia Linetskaya (RUS) bt Martina Sucha (SVK) 6-0, 6-2; Vera Douchevina (RUS) bt Vera Zvonareva (RUS x9) 6-3, 6-3; Li Na (CHN) bt Shinobu Asagoe (JPN x28) 6-3, 6-4; Amy Frazier (USA x21) bt Denisa Chladkova (CZE) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2; Amelie Mauresmo (FRA x2) bt Dinara Safina (RUS) 2-6, 6-1, 6-0; Sania Mirza (IND) bt Petra Mandula (HUN) 6-2, 6-1; Serena Williams (USA x7) bt Dally Randriantefy (MAD) 6-3, 6-0; Ana Ivanovic (SEM) bt Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 6-1, 6-1; Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x5) bt Marion Bartoli (FRA) 6-2, 6-0; Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) bt Fabiola Zuluaga (COL x17) 6-2, 7-6 (7/2); Elena Baltacha (GBR) bt Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (FRA) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1; Magdalena Maleeva (BUL x22) bt Alina Jidkova (RUS) 6-4, 7-5; Maria Sharapova (RUS x4) bt Lindsay Lee-Waters (USA) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3; Silvia Farina Elia (ITA x15) bt Marta Domachowska (POL) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5); Mariana Diaz-Oliva (ARG) bt Gisela Dulko (ARG x29) 7-6 (7/2),7-5; Nadia Petrova (RUS x11) bt Sophie Ferguson (AUS) 4-6, 6-0, 6-1.

MEN'S SINGLES:

SECOND ROUND: Kevin Kim (USA) bt Guillermo Garcia Lopez (SPA) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2; Tommy Robredo (SPA x13) bt Tomas Zib (CZE) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; Dominik Hrbaty (SVK x20) bt Janko Tipsarevic (SEM) 6-2, 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 7-5; Gaston Gaudio (ARG x10) bt Mardy Fish (USA) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4); Olivier Rochus (BEL) bt Gael Monfils (FRA) 6-1, 6-3, 6-3; Karol Beck (SVK) bt Tommy Haas (GER x16) 5-7, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Ivan Ljubicic (CRO x22) 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-7; (2/7), 6-2; Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (THA x27) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; Taylor Dent (USA x29) bt Michal Tabara (CZE) 6-4, 6-1, 6-4; Feliciano Lopez (SPA x24) bt Sargis Sargsian (ARM) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3); Mario Ancic (CRO x28) bt Bjorn Phau (GER) 7-5, 6-2, 6-1; Thomas Johansson (SWE x30) bt Agustin Calleri (ARG) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5; Marat Safin (RUS x4) bt Bohdan Ulihrach (CZE) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3; Andre Agassi (USA x8) bt Rainer Schuettler (GER) 6-3, 6-1, 6-0; Joachim Johansson (SWE x11) bt Peter Wessels (NED) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4; Roger Federer (SWI x1) bt Takao Suzuki (JPN) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. 6-2, 6-0; Janet Lee (TPE)/Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA)/Roberta Vinci (ITA x13) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-2; Alyona Bondarenko (UKR)/Emmanuelle Gagliardi (SWI) bt Patricia Wartusch (AUT)/Jasmin Woehr (GER) 6-2, 6-; Eleni Daniilidou (GRE)/Nicole Pratt (AUS x16) bt Leanne Baker (NZL)/Francesca Lubiani (ITA) 6-4, 7-5; Milagros Sequera (VEN)/Meilen Tu (USA) bt Barbara Schett (AUT)/Patty Schnyder (SWI x9) 7-5, 6-4; Beti Sekulovski (AUS)/Cindy Watson (AUS) bt Anastassia Rodionova (RUS)/Abigail Spears (USA) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Jennifer Hopkins (USA)/Mashona Washington (USA) bt Conchita Martinez(SPA)/Virginia Ruano Pascual (SPA x4) 7-5, 6-; Maret Ani (EST)/Flavia Pennetta (ITA) bt Anne Kremer (LUX)/Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (SPA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Li Ting (CHN)/Sun Tiantian (CHN x10) bt Marta Marrero (SPA)/Antonella Serra Zanetti (ITA) 6-2, 6-3; Elena Dementieva (RUS)/Ai Sugiyama (JPN x8) bt Yuliana Fedak (UKR)/Tatiana Poutchek (BLR) 6-3, 6-0; Lindsay Davenport (USA)/Corina Morariu (USA x15) bt Daniella Dominikovic (AUS)/Evie Dominikovic (AUS) 6-2, 6-2; Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)/Alicia Molik (AUS x6) bt Nathalie Dechy (FRA)/Emilie Loit (FRA) 6-3, 6-2. -AFP