January 18, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 27, 1427

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MELBOURNE, Jan 17: Andy Roddick and Marat Safin, travelling down distinctly different roads on Wednesday, headed for an explosive third-round collision at the Australian Open.

The American sixth seed came out firing against Frenchman Marc Gicquel and accelerated to a 6-3, 7-6, 6-4 win.

Safin, champion in 2005, again chose a more winding route.

He made things difficult for himself as he was stretched to five sets for a second successive match before steering past Israeli qualifier Dudi Sela 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 7-6, 6-0.

The Russian has now won 26 of 37 five-set matches in his career but cannot afford such lapses against a man who owns the fastest serve in the game.

But Marcos Baghdatis failed to repeat his heroics of last year when he was beaten 7-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 by Frenchman Gael Monfils in the second round.

The 11th-seeded Cypriot, whose fairytale run to the final in 2006 where he lost to Roger Federer, never came to terms with his game. Monfils now meets fellow 20-year-old Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

Champions Federer and Amelie Mauresmo put tennis back under the spotlight at Melbourne Park after the opening days' troubles.

On-court action during the first two days of the grand slam was overshadowed by brawling fans and the sweltering conditions.

On Wednesday, Federer set the agenda as his pursuit of a 10th Grand Slam title gathered pace with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 win over Swedish doubles exponent Jonas Bjorkman.

Mauresmo enjoyed an even more one-sided 6-2, 6-2 success against Russian teenager Olga Poutchkova, although one incident brought into question the validity of the instant replay technology being used at the event for the first time.

Mauresmo challenged a call against her on set point in the first set but a confusing television graphic showed the ball had bounced beyond the baseline, with the caption reading 'IN', leading the chair umpire to ask the players to replay the point.

The Frenchwoman nevertheless wrapped up victory in 72 minutes.

Federer, meanwhile, sealed victory in 95 minutes and extended his perfect record to 5-0 against Bjorkman, who has never won a set off the Swiss maestro.

Up next for Federer is 25th seed and US Open semi-finalist Mikhail Youzhny.

Twice former champion Serena Williams staggered and then powered her way to a 7-6, 6-2 victory.

With fifth seed Nadia Petrova up next for the American, she will not want her mind wandering as it did on Wednesday.

Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Petrova seemed to be in a hurry to get out of the humid conditions after both ended up on the casualty list at last week's Sydney International.

Third seed Kuznetsova romped past Australian wildcard Monique Adamczak 6-2, 6-1 and number five Petrova was equally emphatic in her 6-1, 6-2 win over Argentine Gisela Dulko.

Seventh seed Elena Dementieva also progressed.

The Russians were joined in the third round by in-form Serbian 11th seed Jelena Jankovic, a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain.

With Tuesday's draining conditions having caused the suspension of many matches, seeds Patty Schnyder, Dinara Safina and Daniela Hantuchova were all relieved to win their delayed first-round matches in straight sets.

Serbian 14th seed Novak Djokovic's run towards a possible fourth-round showdown with Federer gathered momentum when he hurtled past Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 7-5, 6-1.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Second round: Gael Monfils (France) beat 11-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-0; 7-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Juergen Melzer (Austria) 6-1, 6-3, 6-3; Sam Querrey (US) beat Florent Serra (France) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; 9-Mario Ancic (Croatia) beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2; 26-Marat Safin (Russia) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0; 22-Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) beat Vince Spadea (US) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; 18-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Amer Delic (US) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4; 6-Andy Roddick (US) beat Marc Gicquel (France) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; Mardy Fish (US) beat Nicolas Mahut (France) 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; 25-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Yen-Hsun Lu (Taiwan) 7-5, 6-4, 6-4; 20-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat Lukas Dlouhy (Czech Republic) 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4; 16-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Thomas Johansson (Sweden) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-2; Wayne Arthurs (Australia) beat Zack Fleishman (US) 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-4; Danai Udomchoke (Thailand) beat 24-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 7-6 (7-0), 7-5, 4-6, 6-1; 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2; 14-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-2, 7-5, 6-1.

Women’s singles:

Second round: 10-Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) beat Milagros Sequera (Venezuela) 6-2, 6-1; 2-Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Olga Poutchkova (Russia) 6-2, 6-2; 21-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) beat Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic) 7-6 (7-0), 6-7 (6-8), 6-1 Anastasiya Yakimova (Belarus) beat 23-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) 6-2, 2-6, 10-8; 7-Elena Dementieva (Russia) beat Martina Mueller (Germany) 7-5, 3-6, 6-0; 20-Tatiana Golovin (France) beat Zuzana Ondraskova (Czech Republic) 6-2, 6-0; Serena Williams (US) beat Anne Kremer (Luxembourg) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2; Eva Birnerova (Czech Republic) beat Julia Schruff (Germany) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2; Maria Elena Camerin (Italy) beat Elena Vesnina (Russia) 4-6, 6-3, 8-6; 16-Shahar Peer (Israel) beat Meilen Tu (US) 6-3, 6-0; Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat 14-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-3, 6-3; 26-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Julia Vakulenko (Ukraine) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; 5-Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat Gisela Dulko (Argentina) 6-1, 6-2; Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) beat 18-Marion Bartoli (France) 6-0, 7-5; 11-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) 6-2, 6-2; 3-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Monique Adamczak (Australia) 6-2, 6-1.

First round: Shuai Peng (China) beat Andreja Klepac (Slovenia) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Emilie Loit (France) beat Aravane Rezai (France) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Youlia Fedossova (France) beat Catalina Castano (Colombia) 7-5, 6-4; 9-Dinara Safina (Russia) beat Ekaterina Bychkova (Russia) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1; 19-Li Na (China) beat Elena Bovina (Russia) 6-4, 6-3; 15-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Alize Cornet (France) 6-4, 6-1; 22-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) beat Tzipora Obziler (Israel) 6-3, 6-4; Lourdes Dominguez (Spain) beat Ahsha Rolle (US) 6-3, 6-4; Tamira Paszek (Austria) beat Severine Bremond (France) 6-1, 6-4; 8-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) beat Madison Brengle (US) 6-3, 6-4; 17-Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) beat Sandra Zahlavova (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-1; Ashley Harkleroad (US) beat Meng Yuan (China) 6-3, 6-0.—Reuters