MELBOURNE, Jan 18: James Blake sported a racy new outfit and Serena Williams and Lleyton Hewitt turned on the style to lift spirits at the Australian Open on Saturday after the withdrawal of Marat Safin robbed the tournament of one of its biggest drawcards.

The popular Russian third seed, runner-up here last year, pulled out before his third-round match with Germany’s Rainer Schuettler after taking medical advice about a wrist injury.

Safin staged a news conference early on Saturday where he broke the news.

“My wrist is bothering me so I decided not to play,” he said.

“The doctor told me I should not play. It could make it worse. It was not worth it.”

Williams, Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Blake soaked up the spotlight in his absence, all advancing to the last 16 in some style.

After a slowish start world number one Hewitt hammered Czech Radek Stepanek 6-3 6-2 6-0 to set up a last-16 showdown with Morocco’s Younes El Aynaoui.

“I started a bit rusty tonight but I just got better and better,” the Australian said courtside afterwards.

“Now I’ve just got to get better and better. There’s a whole week ahead.”

Hewitt’s counterpart in the women’s draw, top seed Williams, swept aside the challenge of Thai Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-1 6-1 to earn a clash with Greek Eleni Daniilidou.

Hewitt’s long-term girlfriend Clijsters brushed aside Belarussian Tatiana Poutchek 6-2 6-1. The fourth-seeded Belgian faces South Africa’s Amanda Coetzer in the next round.

Blake set tongues wagging with his outfit — a sleeveless shirt more familiar on an Australian Rules Football pitch — and even Williams seemed more interested in that topic than reviewing her own performance.

“Oh, I just love his new outfit,” she laughed. “It is nice. I think men should be able to wear whatever... some guys, you get to see their muscles, so I think it is nice.

“Oh he is a really nice person, he’s just... he’s the epitome of a gentleman,” she gushed. “He’s just a very kind individual. He has a good heart.”

Blake’s next test is against Schuettler.

Back on the tennis court, Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny added to his growing reputation with a gutsy 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-2 win over seventh seed Jiri Novak.

He will next face Blake’s U.S. Davis Cup team mate Andy Roddick after the ninth seed beat Fernando Vicente 6-2 6-3 6-2.

Swiss sixth seed Roger Federer eased past Sweden’s Andreas Vinciguerra 6-3 6-4 6-2 into the last 16. The stylish Swiss all- court player was too strong in every department for the 145th- ranked Vinciguerra, who had won their previous clash in 2000.

Federer next meets Argentine David Nalbandian. The Wimbledon runner-up advanced when an elbow injury forced Xavier Malisse of Belgium to quit their match.

Tenth seed Nalbandian was leading 4-6 6-2 6-0 3-0 when 20th seed Malisse was no longer able to continue.

Third round results (prefix number denotes seeding):

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