Defending champion Andre Agassi and top-ranked Andy Roddick, who could meet in the semifinals, were in fine form as they rushed through straight-set victories in second-round matches yesterday at the Australian Open.
It seemed that the only mistake Agassi made in his victory over Tomas Berdych came when he changed rackets early in the third set and accidentally carried the plastic cover on court.
"Today felt really good. I think there was a lot of quality ball striking going on, from both sides," said Agassi, who has won 23 consecutive matches at Melbourne Park.
PHOTO: AP
He now faces Thomas Enqvist of Sweden in pursuit of his fifth title here and his ninth Grand Slam.
Justine Henin-Hardenne, ranked No. 1 and winner at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2003, had a 6-1, 6-4 win over childhood friend Camille Pin of France, and fourth-seeded Amelie Mauresmo advanced in straight sets.
"I'm just happy to come through and win this match in two sets," Henin-Hardenne said. "I've been sick for two or three days. I was tired and out of energy."
PHOTO: AFP
Fifth-seeded Lindsay Davenport advanced 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 over Emilie Loit of France. Davenport won 10 of 12 points after Loit took a medical time-out to get her thigh taped at 3-0 in the third. She broke Loit's serve in the last game.
Agassi was on center court only 1 hour, 22 minutes. Roddick sped through nine minutes faster, firing 20 aces along the way.
Roddick set up triple match point with a curling forehand winner down the line and finished it off with a booming first-serve winner.
PHOTO: EPA
"My serve felt great today," said Roddick, adding that he's playing with an underlying confidence that he didn't have this time last year. It will be tested in the next round when he faces fellow American Taylor Dent.
Agassi took the first set in 18 minutes and Berdych did not have a game point until he held serve while already down 0-2 in the second set.
Berdych had more winners than Agassi, 27-23, and had more aces, 12-7, but was much more inconsistent, committing 35 unforced errors to just 10 for Agassi.
PHOTO: AP
The crowd started off decidedly pro-Agassi but, clearly feeling sorry for the underdog, gradually switched to Berdych, who started finding his rhythm midway through the second set.
Roddick, who recorded the fastest serve of the tournament so far at 225kph moved into a showdown with Dent, seeded 27th, who overcame Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 in 3:30.
Dent was frustrated after mixing 83 winners with 77 unforced errors.
"I got by with smoke and mirrors somehow," said Dent, whose serve was broken 10 times. "I'm looking for solutions, I don't have them now."
He knows he must find something to be competitive against Roddick.
"I hope I don't get broken 10 times, otherwise it's going to be a short match," Roddick said.
Frenchman Nicolas Escude, winner at Doha earlier this month, had a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over Robin Soderling to extend his stretch to seven matches without dropping a set since his return this month from a hip problem that has sidelined him since Wimbledon.
Soderling beat sixth-seeded Rainer Schuettler, last year's runner-up here, in the first round.
In other men's matches, 16th-seeded Sjeng Schalken beat David Ferrer in four sets, Austria's Jurgen Melzer beat Spaniard Galo Blanco in three and veteran American Todd Martin outslugged Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7).
Martin withstood 33 aces from the big-serving Croatian in a match where neither player dropped serve.
Sebastien Grosjean, seeded ninth, had a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over American Jan-Michael Gambill; James Blake beat Nicolas Lapentti 6-3, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-1; and three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten had a 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 win over Ivan Ljubicic. Kuerten hadn't gone beyond the second round in seven previous trips to Melbourne Park.
Russia's Marat Safin, who won the US Open in 2000 and had a brief reign atop the rankings, downed Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 7-6 (5), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Andre Agassi says he should have spent more time in Australia in the first half of his career.
"I wish I'd played here every opportunity I had," Agassi, a four-time Australian champion, said after beating Tomas Berdych 6-0, 6-2, 6-4 Wednesday.
"Beyond the fact that this has turned out to be one of the greatest venues for my tennis and my career, I enjoy it here so much. I think I didn't play at the time for reasons that were questionable. You know, I was young, wanted time off.
"I didn't have the same sort of respect for the traditions of the game as I probably wish I would have earlier. I did the same thing at Wimbledon, as well. Those are just times you can't get back."
Agassi first played at the Australian Open in 1995 and won. He has added another three in Melbourne and is looking for a fifth this year.
The American also did not play at Wimbledon for three years after a first-round debut loss in 1987. At his second start back there he won in 1992, and was runner-up in 1999.
On the mend
Mark Philippoussis' cousin, who had a heart attack during the Wimbledon finalist's first-round win at the Australian Open on Tuesday night, is recovering well in hospital, the player and his father Nick said in a statement.
Philippoussis said after his win over Sweden's Thomas Johansson that it was fortunate a doctor was close by when his cousin, whom he identified only as David, suffered the attack.
It occurred in a rest room at Rod Laver Arena and Philippoussis was told about it immediately after his late-night win.
Philippoussis and his father said David was now ``in no immediate danger'' after having been rushed to hospital following the attack.
"On behalf of both of us, and the rest of the family, we wish to thank the members of the public and tournament organizers for their immediate attention to David, and to the doctors and staff at the hospital currently looking after him," Philippoussis and his father said in the statement.
Feeling right at home
Nicolas Escude has had his share of good times in Australia, so little wonder he feels at home here.
Escude had plenty to smile about again on Wednesday when he advanced to the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over Sweden's Robin Soderling.
It follows an injury-hit 2003, in which the French righthander was forced to miss the last six months of the year with a hip problem.
"I enjoy the country, I enjoy the people here," Escude said. "I have a good feeling and good memories in this stadium."
Escude's first major impact at a Grand Slam tournament came at the 1998 Australian Open when he reached the semifinals. He also became the first player in the Open era to win three matches in a Grand Slam after dropping the first two sets.
He also led France to victory over Australia in the 2001 Davis Cup final in Melbourne.
Serve to savor
Ask American veteran Todd Martin to pick the best serve he has faced and he is quick to answer -- Croatia's Ivo Karlovic.
The 33-year-old Martin beat Karlovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday, but was left shaking his head.
"It's the best. It's unbelievable,unbelievable," said Martin of Karlovic, a towering 2.08m righthander from Zagreb, who is the tallest player to rank in the top 100 in the history of the Association of Tennis Professionals rankings.
"He's 6-10 and he serves from a tree," added Martin, who stands 1.98m and also packs a big serve.
"He serves hard, but he is so accurate it is astounding. He has one heck of a complete serve, first and second serve."
Karlovic, ranked No. 72, averaged an ATP-best 17.6 aces per match during 2003. Against Martin on Wednesday, he hit 33 aces to 11 from the American.
Martin put Karlovic's serve ahead of such big-hitters as 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic and current players Wayne Arthurs, Greg Rusedski and Mark Philippoussis.
"I'd rather play Wayne Arthurs every day for the rest of my life than play this guy one more time," a smiling Martin said.
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