Agassi, Venus romp into quarters

Americans Andre Agassi and Venus Williams safely made it through to the last 16 of the Australian Open on Friday after recording contrasting...

Americans Andre Agassi and Venus Williams safely made it through to the last 16 of the Australian Open on Friday after recording contrasting wins.

Agassi had to dig deep to overcome determined Frenchman Nicolas Escude 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 while Williams crushed Germany8217;s Anca Barna 6-1, 6-4. The only big casualty of the day was French Open champion Albert Costa. The eighth seed blew a two sets to one lead in losing to fellow Spaniard Felix Mantilla 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Leander-Rikl advance
Leander Paes of India partnering David Rikl of Czech Republic have entered the third round of the men8217;s doubles event at the Australian Open. The ninth-seeded Indo-Czech duo defeated Hicham Arazi and Younes El Aynaoui of Morocco 7-6 7/4, 6-1 in the second round today. Leander and Rikl will take on James Blake of the US and Mark Merklein of the Bahamas in the quarter-finals. The Blake-Marklein duo today came from a set down to prevail over the Russian-Czech Republic pair of Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Radek Stepanek 6-7 2, 6-4, 6-3.

Second seed Agassi stayed on course to become the first foreign player to win four Australian Opens with a battling win over Escude in a see-saw match.

Williams8217; performance was littered with mistakes but the world No.2 raised her game whenever it mattered to complete an easy win over Barna. Despite losing the last three Grand Slam finals and the No.1 ranking to her little sister Serena in 2002, Venus said she was starting to get back into the groove.

A popular attraction at the Open this year, the American will be public enemy number one when she faces Nicole Pratt in her next match.

Pratt upset 23rd seed Paola Suarez 7-5, 6-4 to become the first local women to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open in a decade.

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Last year8217;s Roland Garros runner-up, Spanish world No.4 Juan Carlos Ferrero had to fight back from a set down before he could book a place in the fourth round with a 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Frenchman Fabrice Santoro.

Women8217;s second round
7-Daniela Hantuchova Slo bt Samantha Stosur Aus 6-4, 6-2; Denisa Chlakova Cze bt Evie Dominikovic Aus 6-3, 6-2; 5-Justine Henin-Hardenne Bel bt 32-Katarina Srebotnik Slo 6-2, 6-0; 12-Patty Schnyder Swi bt Nadia Petrova Rus 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; 2-Venus Williams US bt Anca Barna Ger 6-1, 6-4; 9-Lindsay Davenport US bt 24-Tatiana Panova Rus 6-2 6-1; Nicole Pratt Aus bt 23-Paola Suarez Arg 7-5, 6-4; Virginia Ruano Pascual ESP bt Marlene Weingartner Ger 6-1, 4-6, 6-4

Men8217;s second round
Sargis Sargsian Arm bt Mark Philippoussis Aus 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-4; 4-Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP bt 28-Fabrice Santoro Fra 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5; Wayne Ferreira RSA bt Mardy Fish US 2-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-0; 2-Andre Agassi US bt 29-Nicolas Escude Fra 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Felix Mantilla ESP bt 8-Albert Costa ESP 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3; 12-Sebastien Grosjean Fra bt 24-Nicolas Lapentti Ecu 6-1, 6-3, 6-3; Mario Ancic Cro bt Peter Luczak Aus 2-6, 7-6 7-2, 6-4, 6-2; Guillermo Coria Arg bt Jarkko Nieminen Fin 7-5, 6-2, 6-2
Prefix number denotes seeding

But the best comeback of the day came from South Africa8217;s Wayne Ferreira, who recovered from two sets down to beat American Mardy Fish 2-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-0 after all seemed lost.

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Justine Henin-Hardenne, Lindsay Davenport and Daniela Hantuchova eased through the women8217;s draw with straight set wins. Davenport, calling herself an underdog here but playing like a hot favourite, will next play fifth seed Henin-Hardenne.

Davenport, Australian Open champion three years ago, beat Russian Tatiana Panova 6-2, 6-1 while the fifth-seeded Henin-Hardenne cruised past Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik 6-2, 6-0.

Agassi8217;s good friend, Armenian Sargis Sargsian, made it past the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-4 win over Australia8217;s Mark Philippoussis while Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean, Mario Ancic of Croatia and Argentina8217;s Guillermo Coria also advanced.

Spain8217;s Virginia Ruano Pascual ended German giantkiller Marlene Weingartner, who knocked out defending champion Jennifer Capriati in the first round, run in Melbourne with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 victory. Reuters