Safin eases past Woodruff; Kafelnikov struggles

In the second, 20-year-old Safin, ranked second in the World, underlined his supremacy, allowing Woodruff to take just one game, wrapping up the match in just 52 minutes.

Compatriot and Olympic gold medallist Yevgeny Kafelnikov, seeded second here, had a tougher fight against Norwegian Christian Ruud.

Kafelnikov, easily won the opening set 6-1 in just 22 minutes and the 26-year-old Russian looked as if he was coasting through the second.But the 28-year-old Ruud broke back in the 10th game and forced a tie-break in which Kafelnikov prevailed to enter the last four.

Seventh-seeded David Prinosil of Germany crashed out losing to compatriot Rainer Schuttler 6-2, 6-3.

Spaniard Alex Calatrava also earned a quarter-final spot when he easily ousted another German Markus Hatschk 6-3 6-1.

Meanwhile Jared Palmer of the United States bounced back to enter the final four after losing the opening set of their two-hour tie 7-5 against Dutch third seed Sjeng Schalken.

Agassi on the rise
LYON: Andre Agassi continued his rise in form in Lyon, handily defeating Tommy Haas 6-2 6-3 for a place in the quarter-finals of the $ 800,000 Grand Prix. Agassi faces Slovakian Karol Kucera, who put out Swiss Roger Federer 3-6 6-2 6-1.

Agassi, playing in only his second event since losing in the second round of the US Open, will face his toughest test of the week as he takes on Kucera.Australian Mark Philippoussis crashed out of the second round to persistent Moroccan Hicham Arazi 3-6 6-3 7-5.

Frenchman Arnaud Clement knocked out fifth-seeded Franco Squillari 3-6 6-2 6-3 to give Argentina two defeats on the day. Dutch qualifier Raemon Sluiter beat Mariano Puerta 4-6 6-4 4-1 when the ailing South American retired with a left wrist injury.

Venus joins exodus
NEW YORK: Venus Williams of the United States has pulled out of next week’s season-ending WTA Championships, which was to have matched the year’s top 16 players on the women’s tennis Tour here.

The announcement on Thursday, follows the departure from the field of Serena Williams with a foot injury, French Open champion Mary Pierce of France with right shoulder tendinitis and German Anke Huber with a right wrist sprain.

Kournikova cruises
PHILADELPHIA: Fourth seed Nathalie Tauziat of France struggled while No 6 Anna Kournikova of Russia cruised to reach the third round of the $ 535,000 WTA Advanta Championships.

Tauziat had her hands full against Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia before eliminating the World’s 112th-ranked player, 7-5 6-4 on Thursday.Kournikova continued her pursuit of that elusive first career singles title with a 6-0 6-2 rout of Australia’s Nicole Pratt.

The Russian will face top seed Martina Hingis of Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

Lucky loser Holly Parkinson, ranked 99th, moved into the third round after American Chanda Rubin withdrew due to tendinitis in her left knee.

France’s Julie Halard-Decugis ousted eighth-seed American Jennifer Capriati 6-4 6-1. Halard-Decugis will face Tauziat in the quarter-finals.