It’s curtains for Kuerten

Rusedski, who has struggled with injury for a year, failed to serve out the match at 7-6 in the fifth set when top seed Kuerten, a two-time French Open champion, levelled at 7-7. But he broke the Brazilian in the next game, then served out to love to seal victory. “It was very disappointing, I wish I had won,†Kuerten said.

In the women’s section, top seed Martina Hingis stayed on a collision course with the Williams sisters when she sped past Belgian Els Callens 6-1 6-0 to reach the third round. Venus Williams stayed in the race to meet Hingis when she swept past U.S. compatriot Meghann Shaughnessy 6-3, 7-6 while her younger sister Serena overpowered Russia’s Nadejda Petrova 6-3, 6-2.

Men’s fifth seed and Olympic champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov hit a few speed bumps, though, as he struggled to a 6-2, 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer in an enthralling 187-minute second round match on Centre Court at Melbourne Park. Fourth seed Magnus Norman of Sweden steered an easier course into the third round with a 7-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over Frenchman Fabrice Santoro.

Australian teenager Lleyton Hewitt then played chicken with German Tommy Haas, coming from behind to win 7-5, 7-6, 6-4 win. It was another crowd-pleasing, aggressive showing from the seventh-seeded Hewitt after Tuesday’s five-set win over Swede Jonas Bjorkman. The 19-year-old Australian powered past Haas despite falling 5-0 behind in the opening set. “I just about felt like I was going to lose it,†Hewitt said of his 183-minute tussle with Haas.

Kafelnikov’s compatriot and ninth seed Elena Dementie Vaalmost became another women’s casualty but fought back from match point down to beat German qualifier Andrea Glass 2-6, 7-6, 6-3.

Amy Frazier was not so lucky, the off-form 16th seed beaten easily 6-4, 6-1 by Italy’s Rita Grande. The Italian beat Frazier on the way to winning her first career title in Hobart last week.

Seeded Frenchwomen Mary Pierce and Amelie Mauresmo had no such trouble, advancing to the third round in double quick time. Seventh seed Pierce beat unseeded Argentine Mariana Diaz-Oliva 6-2, 6-2 in under an hour while 13th seed Mauresmo outclassed Australia’s Nicole Pratt 6-0, 7-5.

On the men’s side, 11th seed Franco Squillari of Argentina headed for the exit after he was beaten 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 by Canadian journeyman Daniel Nestor. Tenth seed Wayne Ferreira of South Africa beat Frenchman Julien Boutter 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

Hingis, a finalist here the last four years and champion three times, may have to beat both Williams this year just to reach the final. “I think I’m getting there, I’m going in the right direction,†she said after her 40-minute demolition of Callens.The draw, which has put her in the same half as the headline-grabbing American sisters, will make it tough for her to make up for lean Grand Slam pickings of late. The 20-year-old has not captured a Grand Slam title since she won in Melbourne in 1999.

Trend-setter Venus, the U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion is drawn to meet Hingis in the semifinals. Younger sister Serena is scheduled to face the Swiss in the quarters.