Kournikova double-faults ahead

Among them was defending champion Petr Korda, who blasted away Spain’s Julian Alonso 6-3, 6-1, 6-1. The Czech had to put up with taunts from spectators over his failed dope test at last year’s Wimbledon championships.

Other winners on the fourth day of the tournament included former World number ones Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. The old rivals, both bidding for their fifth Australian Open title, are headed for an intriguing quarter-final clash.

Kournikova has seen her serve all but collapse in recent weeks. In the run-up to the Open she served almost 100 double faults in six matches. In the first round here, she served 23.

Today, against 80thranked Miho Saeki of Japan, the former Wimbledon semi-finalist saw her serve touch rock bottom — although her game Japanese opponent could not always capitalise on her distress.

The Russian clung on for a 1-6, 6-4, 10-8 win before rushing to the bench and covering her head in her towel, her shoulders convulsed by sobs.

After an appalling first set — her first serve of the match hit the ground before the net — Kournikova fought bravely back into the match.

She cautiously steadied her serve and managed to get the better of the aggressive Japanese on the ground strokes.

Leading 8-7 in the third, and with the score at 15-15, Kournikova served a rare ace. She quickly ran to change her racquet and came back to serve a double fault in the next game.

But Kournikova hung on through repeated breaks of serve and finally held her serve at 9-8 to scrape through to the third round.

Tenth-seeded Graf overcame a nervous start to beat Austria’s Barbara Schwartz 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Champion in Melbourne from 1988 to1990 and then again in 1994, Graf is battling her way back up the world rankings after an injury-plagued 1998 in which she missed the Australian and French Opens, was beaten in the third round at Wimbledon and made a fourth round exit at the U S Open.

Sixth seed Monica Seles lacked her old killer touch but still beat Alexia Dechaume-Balleret of France, ranked 73 in the world, 6-1, 6-4. It took three match points for the Yugoslav-born American to finish off her opponent after being 5-1 up in the second set.

HOW THE SEEDS FARED (Second Round)

Men: 15-Todd Martin (U S) bt Hendrik Dreekmann (Germany) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2;

Women: 12-Anna Kournikova (Rus) bt Miho Saeki (Jap) 1-6, 6-4, 10-8; 14-Sandrine Testud (Fra) bt Els Callens (Bel) 6-3, 6-1; 10-Steffi Graf (Ger) bt Barbara Schwartz (Aut) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; 16-Amanda Coetzer (SA) beat Julie Halard-Decugis (Fra) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4; 6-Monica Seles (US) bt Alexia Dechaume-Balleret (Fra) 6-1, 6-4; Martina Hingis (Swi) bt Elena Dementieva(Rus) 6-3, 6-2.

OTHER RESULTS

Men: Jiri Novak (Cze) bt Arnaud Clement (Fra) 3-6, 6-7 (1-7), 6-0, 6-3, 6-3; Andrei Pavel (Rom) bt Stephane Huet (Fra) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3; Nicolas Kiefer (Ger) bt Cecil Mamiit (U S) 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (9-7); Daniel Nestor (Can) bt Sjeng Schalken (Net) 7-5, 6-1, 6-0; Gianluca Pozzi (Ita) bt Lionel Roux (Fra) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1, 3-0 (Roux retired with ankle injury); Wayne Black (Zim) bt Andrei Medvedev (Ukr) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6 6-2; Petr Korda (Cze) bt Julian Alonso (Spa) 6-3, 6-1, 6-1; Vincent Spadea (U S) bt Franco Squillari (Arg) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Women: Mary Pierce (Fra) bt Anne Kremer (Lux) 6-2, 6-1; Mary Joe Fernandez (US) bt Amy Frazier (US) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3; Andrea Glass (Ger) bt Tatiana Panova (Rus) 7-5, 6-7 (2-7), 7-5; Jelena Dokic (Aus) bt Kristina Brandi (US) 6-4 7-5; Janet Lee (Tai) bt Samantha Reeves (US) 7-5, 6-1; Serena Williams (US) bt Magui Serna (Spa) 6-1, 6-3; Rita Grande (Ita) bt Li Fang (Chi) 6-2 6-4.