Blake flexes muscles

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 S...

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 Germany8217;s Rainer Schuettler after taking medical advice about a wrist injury.

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

8220;My wrist is bothering me so I decided not to play,8221; he said.

8220;The doctor told me I should not play. It could make it worse. It was not worth it.8221;

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 No.1 Hewitt hammered Czech Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 to set up a last-16 showdown with Morocco8217;s Younes El Aynaoui.

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Hewitt8217;s counterpart in the women8217;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.

Hewitt8217;s long-term girlfriend Clijsters brushed aside Belarussian Tatiana Poutchek 6-2, 6-1. The fourth-seeded Belgian faces South Africa8217;s Amanda Coetzer in the next round.

Blake set tongues wagging with his outfit 8212; a sleeveless shirt more familiar on an Australian Rules Football pitch 8212; and even Williams seemed more interested in that topic than reviewing her own performance.

8220;Oh, I just love his new outfit,8221; she laughed. 8220;It is nice. I think men should be able to wear whatever8230; some guys, you get to see their muscles, so I think it is nice.

Blake8217;s next test is against Schuettler.

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Back on the tennis court, Russia8217;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 Blake8217;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 Sweden8217;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. Reuters