Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet set up a dream French Open third-round showdown as teenage talent threatened to sweep the old guard out of Roland Garros on Wednesday.
Nadal, the fourth-seeded Spaniard, eased past Belgium's Xavier Malisse 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 to book his place in the next round where he meets France's equally dashing 18-year-old Gasquet.
Nadal has won two of their three meetings including on his way to the Monte Carlo Masters title in April.
PHOTO: AFP
"He's in top shape and he will have his fans behind him. That could be a positive or negative. There can be pressure playing in front of your own people," Nadal said.
The 30th-seeded Gasquet brushed aside Dutchman Peter Wessels 6-3, 7-6 (7/1), 6-1.
"I'm very pleased to have got the first two rounds out of the way," said Gasquet, only one of two men to have beaten world No. 1 Roger Federer this year.
"Now there's a big match awaiting me. I won't be the favorite but if I can beat Nadal it would be fantastic," he said.
Top seed Federer, bidding to win the only Grand Slam to have eluded him, moved ominously into the third round with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/0), 6-2 win over Spanish 19-year-old Nicolas Almagro.
Federer next plays Chilean 25th seed Fernando Gonzalez.
"That could be a dangerous match. He loves clay. He has a fantastic forehand so I have to watch out for it," said Federer, who has never got beyond the fourth round here in six attempts.
But heading for the exit was British seventh seed Tim Henman, a semifinalist here last year, who was knocked out 7-5, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-4 by Peru's Luis Horna.
The 30-year-old Henman's defeat followed first-round losses for former champions Andre Agassi, Gustavo Kuerten and Albert Costa.
Carlos Moya, the 1998 champion and 14th seed, managed to avoid the champions' cull by beating Czech qualifier Robin Vik 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-1 to move into the next round where he faces countryman Fernando Vincente.
Nadal and Gasquet may be the embodiment of brash youth in the men's draw but the women refused to be outshone with 15-year-old Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva beating Shinobu Asagoe, the Japanese 19th seed 7-5, 6-2, to set up a third-round meeting with Venus Williams.
Karatantcheva's win came just a day after fellow 15-year-old Alize Cornet, of France, made the second round where she will face third-seeded compatriot Amelie Mauresmo.
"I remember watching Venus on television. She is my idol as a person and a tennis player," Karatantcheva said. "I just hope I can be a good opponent."
Top seed Lindsay Davenport, a former Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open winner, survived a scare before beating China's 19-year-old Peng Shuai 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-0.
The American had been in danger of following defending champion Anastasia Myskina out of the event when Peng served for the match at 5-4 in the second set.
But the 28-year-old's experience eventually told as she set up a clash with France's Virginie Razzano.
"I was lucky to get by. She made some big errors and I managed to get through," Davenport said.
Williams, the former double Wimbledon and US Open champion and 2002 runner-up here, advanced to the third round beating Colombia's Fabiola Zuluaga 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
France's 30-year-old Mary Pierce, champion here in 2000, easily saw off Croatia's Jelena Kostanic 6-1, 6-0 while Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva, the runner-up last year, enjoyed a 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 win over Sandra Mamic of Croatia.
Belgium's Kim Clijsters, the 14th seed, reached the third round with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Slovakia's Ludmila Cervanova and next meets Slovakian 20th seed Daniela Hantuchova.
Elsewhere in the men's event, defending champion Gaston Gaudio, seeded No. 5, reached the third round without hitting a ball when scheduled opponent Dmitry Tursunov of Russia withdrew with a knee injury.
Argentinian David Nalbandian, the 10th seed and a semifinalist last year, brushed past Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.
Henin-Hardenne is back
Justine Henin-Hardenne confirmed her status as a French Open favorite yesterday when she cruised into the third round and buried the misery of her appearance at Roland Garros last year.
Twelve months ago the Belgian arrived in the French capital as defending champion but having not played for six weeks after being struck down by an energy-sapping virus.
Her lack of sharpness was exposed as she was dumped out at the second-round stage by unheralded Italian Tathiana Garbin, becoming the first top seed in the history of the women's event to lose so early.
After her 6-1, 6-4 win over 31-year-old Virginia Ruano Pascual yesterday, which set up a third-round clash with another Spaniard, Anabel Medina Garrigues, the 22-year-old Belgian admitted she was struggling this year with a back injury.
"I have had a back problem for about two months now and it's something I have to deal with," said Henin-Hardenne, who called the trainer onto the court during the match.
"On clay courts, you have to be at your best level but I think I will be fine over the rest of the tournament. I called for the trainer becasue I wanted to make sure everything was alright. It was hurting me when I served but it's not something I am afraid of," she said.
However, Henin-Hardenne did admit that she will consider having to rest the problem once her involvement here comes to an end, which could put her involvement at Wimbledon at risk.
Henin-Hardenne only returned to the tour in April this year after a seven-month absence to cure her viral problem and has been in blistering form since winning three titles in a row in Charleston, Warsaw and Berlin.
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