MIAMI, March 27: Six-times champion Andre Agassi began his 19th Nasdaq-100 Open campaign with a 7-5 6-4 second-round win over Paul-Henri Mathieu of France on Saturday.
World number one Roger Federer also came through sweltering conditions to beat Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-3 6-1. Amelie Mauresmo, the top seed in the women’s event, had a fright before putting out Russian Maria Kirilenko 4-6 6-4 6-1.
Ninth seed Agassi had to wait until the end of the first set to break Mathieu’s resistance but once he had taken the lead he showed little sign of surrendering it.
The 34-year-old American, who was watched by his wife Steffi Graf, shrugged off pre-tournament worries about his injured toe.
Federer needed only 71 minutes against Rochus to extend his winning streak to 17 matches.
The Swiss has now won 43 of his last 44 contests, stretching back to last August’s U.S. Open. His one defeat this season was at the hands of Russian Marat Safin in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January.
Since then Federer has won consecutive titles in Rotterdam, Dubai and, last week, at Indian Wells.
HOT STREAK: Unseeded Kim Clijsters also kept up her hot streak by overcoming American Amy Frazier 6-2 6-3.
The former world number one from Belgium, playing her third event since missing most of 2004 with a wrist injury, has lost only one of her 12 matches since launching her comeback last month.
Last week Clijsters won the Pacific Life Open title at Indian Wells. Her victory over Frazier was her ninth in a row and set up a third-round clash with Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy.
Britain’s Tim Henman also progressed with an efficient 6-3 7-5 triumph over Czech Ivo Minar.
Last year’s runner-up, fourth seed Guillermo Coria, safely negotiated his match with Davide Sanguinetti, beating the Italian 6-1 6-4.
Argentina’s Coria had to retire from last year’s final against Andy Roddick with back pain.
Defending champion Roddick had to pull out of the tournament on Friday with a wrist injury.
Australian Mark Philippoussis withdrew on Saturday after sustaining a sprained left ankle in his first-round win over Rochus’s brother Christophe earlier this week.
Mauresmo said she might have benefited in her match with Kirilenko from the 10-minute break players are given before the third set under the WTA Tour’s extreme heat rule.
Results
Men (second round)
Gaston Gaudio (ARG ) bt Bjorn Phau (GER) 6-2, 6-2; Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) bt Jean-Rene Lisnard (FRA) 1-6, 6-2, 6-2; Jeff Morrison (USA) bt Joachim Johansson (SWE) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4; Radek Stepanek (CZE) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA) 7-5, 6-0; Tim Henman (GBR) bt Ivo Minar (CZE) 6-3, 7-5; Taylor Dent (USA) bt Victor Hanescu (ROM) 2-6, 6-1, 4-0, ret; Arnaud Clement (FRA) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-1, 7-5; Guillermo Coria (ARG ) bt Davide Sanguinetti (ITA) 6-1, 6-4; Roger Federer (SUI) bt Olivier Rochus (BEL) 6-3, 6-1; Mariano Zabaleta (ARG) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (THA) 7-6 (7/5) 6-3; Florian Mayer (GER) bt Nicolas Kiefer (GER) 6-4, 6-2; Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) bt Mark Philippoussis (AUS) walkover; Mario Ancic (CRO) bt Ricardo Mello (BRA) 6-1, 6-4; Tommy Haas (GER) bt Mardy Fish (USA) 7-6 (8/6), 7-5; Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) bt Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) 6-1, 6-3; Andre Agassi (USA) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 7-5, 6-4;
