Agassi survives Martin; Hingis breezes through

South African Wayne Ferreira, who ousted former champion Richard Krajicek in the previous round, also progressed when he beat Andrei Pavel of Romania 3-6 7-6 7-3 7-5 6-3.

KADMABARI MULRALI ADDS: They8217;re doing it again. The seeds over here are dropping like flies and no one seems able to help them 8212; not the weather, which has been perfectly amicable these past two days; not the crowds of upwards of 30,000 flocking to watch their idols; and definitely not God.

Serna, who prefers to be addressed by her nickname Magui pronounced mau-wee according to the WTA guide, had a rollicking time on Centre Court but kept her head to win 7-65, 7-6 4. Also joining Pierce in the sidelines was men8217;s No 5 seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who was given the boot by Swede Thomas Johansson.

Johansson, who said he would have been a doctor if tennis hadn8217;t worked out, was clinical in his 6-1, 7-6 0, 6-4 rout of the Russian. The latter, who had treatment during the match and said he was suffering from an injury to his ribs, added that he didn8217;t practice his serve at all. He said he has been on medication for three days.

Also going out were women8217;s 12th seed Amanda Coetzer and Russian heartthrob Marat Safin. South African Coetzer went out to American Lilia Osterloh who had taken out Italian Sylvia Farina in straight sets 7-60, 6-2. Safin, who had received tremendous build-up prior to this event, was unable to do anything much against the Monte Carlo-based Czech Martin Damm and left without much ado.

The main person to restore some sanity to the seedings however, was second seed and last year8217;s runner-up Andre Agassi, but he only just made it, literally by a whisker. Agassi, playing compatriot Todd Martin in a replay of last year8217;s US Open final, won 6-4, 2-6, 7-63, 2-6, 10-8, but not before Martin, magnificent till almost the very end, wasted two match points and a 5-2 advantage in the decider after a series of errors and erratic playing by Agassi.

That Agassi, watched by Steffi Graf, seated next to a suited Sir Cliff Richards, could do what he did in three hours 47 minutes, a rain break last night, a fall before the break and match points down is only a reflection of what his Davis Cup captain and former Wimbledon champ John McEnroe dubbed his quot;iron will.quot;

The match was completed today after being suspended due to rain at 30-30 in the second game of the fourth set with Martin 1-0 and a break up. Meanwhile, till mid-afternoon, it was still uncertain as to when the incomplete mixed doubles match between Mahesh Bhupathi-Martina Navratilova against the Dutch pairing of Jan Siemerink and Miriam Oremans would be finished.

When bad light suspended play last night, the Dutch combo was leading 6-4, 6-75, 9-8 with Mahesh ready to serve. Mahesh was waiting for his doubles match to begin on Court 9, so that would take priority.

In some more information Pete Sampras8217; coach Paul Annacone announced in a press conference on Thursday evening that he didn8217;t think it was Sampras8217; ankle that was acting up, but the injury was quot;more on the shin. He8217;s got some inflammation and fluid build-up in there and it8217;s stiff and sore. It hurts like heck.quot;

He added that because this was Wimbledon, Sampras would go out and quot;play despite the pain.quot;

This is probably the year of struggling defending champions. American Lindsay Davenport almost didn8217;t make it against Russian Elena Likhovtseva. Likhovtseva was leading 3-0, with two breaks in the decider, when Davenport finally got her act together and took the next six games with something like her normal game.

She said later that she got lucky. quot;But I should have played better. As the tournament goes on, everyone has to raise their level. I didn8217;t really do that and I can8217;t take the chance that I8217;ll get lucky again.quot; Davenport is on the return from a back problem and had her left leg wrapped, as she had been having problems with it since last year8217;s US Open.

While Lleyton Hewitt couldn8217;t outlast the first round, fellow-Aussies Pat Rafter and Mark Philippoussis had no such problem as they won their second round encounters yesterday. Rafter, seeded 12th, beat doubles specialist and fellow Aussie Todd Woodbridge 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 and then threw his racquet into the stands.

Philippoussis, seeded 10th, made a slow start, but got past Frenchman Arnaud di Pasquale 4-6, 7-60, 6-3, 6-0.

The other person who made it through safely was the one who really matters to people out here. The public left feasting on strawberries and cream after Briton Tim Henman waltzed his way through his match against bandana and dark glasses-sporting Frenchman Arnaud Clement. Henman won 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

At least for the present, the world was at peace.