Testing time for the seeds

World number one Martina Hingis, in contrast, breezed through in 37 minutes, the fastest win of the tournament, but Monica Seles and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario were tested before moving on while South African 13th seed Amanda Coetzer lost.

On the menacirc;euro;trade;s side, third-seeded Swede Magnus Norman the highest-ranked player to reach the third round after top seed Andre Agassiacirc;euro;trade;s shock defeat on Thursday advanced with ease. But seeds Marat Safin, Cedric Pioline and Juan Carlos Ferrero were pushed hard in five-set thrillers.

And rain postponed Australian 15th-seed Mark Philippoussisacirc;euro;trade; second-round match against American Jan-Michael Gambill to Saturday.

Williams, whose victory run is the yearacirc;euro;trade;s best by a woman, seeks her fifth consecutive crown after Wimbledon, Stanford, San Diego and New Haven. She next plays the only non-seed in her half of the draw, Spainacirc;euro;trade;s No 33 Magui Serna.

Hingis and Spanish ninth seed Sanchez, who beat American Allison Bradshaw 7-6 7-2 6-0, have fourth-round dates with French seeds whom they are each 11-0 against lifetime. Hingis meets No 11 Sandrine Testud. Sanchez gets No 8 Nathalie Tauziat.

Sixth seed Seles struggled past 17th-ranked fellow American Chanda Rubin 6-3 4-6 6-4 in 97 minutes. Rubin blew an overhead slam in the final game. Seles then smacked a pair of backhand winners to advance.

Seles will next play 15th seed Jennifer Capriati in a rematch of last yearacirc;euro;trade;s fourth round here, when Seles won 6-4 6-3, and an epic 1991 US Open semi-final that Seles won in a third-set tie-breaker.

Coetzer was bounced 7-5 7-6 7-3 by Serna, who had never taken a set from the African in five prior matches. Serna won despite 58 unforced errors by producing more winners 37-10.

Coetzer became the third womenacirc;euro;trade;s seed ousted, following Franceacirc;euro;trade;s No 16 Julie Halard-Decugis and 14th seed Dominique van Roost of Belgium.

The 22-year-old Arnaud Clement landed the biggest upset in the menacirc;euro;trade;s section on Thursday when outhustled and outslugged the 30-year-old World number one Andre Agassi for a stunning 6-3 6-2 6-4 triumph on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

Sixth seed Safin, 20, barely outlasted the drawacirc;euro;trade;s oldest man, Gianluca Pozzi of Italy, 6-3 3-6 6-3 3-6 6-4. The Russian prodigy needed five match points to survive a lesson from the crafty veteran.

Franceacirc;euro;trade;s No 10 Pioline rallied from two sets down and saved two match points to dump Britainacirc;euro;trade;s Greg Rusedski 6-7 4-7 3-6 6-4 7-6 8-6 6-3.

Spanish No 12 Ferrero beat Argentinaacirc;euro;trade;s Hernan Gumy 1-6 6-3 6-7 4-7 6-2 6-3 and big-serving Aussie qualifier Wayne Arthurs, who ousted Brazilacirc;euro;trade;s Kuerten, rallied past countryman Jason Stoltenberg 2-6 7-6 7-2 6-4 6-4.

How The Seeds Fared

Men Singles 2nd round: Arnaud Clement Fra bt 1-Andre Agassi US 6-3 6-2 6-4; 3-Magnus Norman Swe bt Cyril Saulnier Fra 6-3 6-4 6-3; 5-Yevgeny Kafelnikov Rus bt Alexander Popp Ger 6-7 3-7 6-4 6-4 6-4; 6-Marat Safin Rus bt Gianluca Pozzi Ita 6-3 3-6 6-3 3-6 6-4; 8-Alex Corretja Spa bt Marc Rosset Swi 6-3 7-6 7/4 6-3; 9-Lleyton Hewitt Aus bt Julien Boutter Fra 7-6 8-6 6-4 6-4; 10-Cedric Pioline Fra bt Greg Rusedski GBR 6-7 4/7 3-6 6-4 7-6 8/6 6-3; 11-Tim Henman Britain bt Fernando Gonzalez Chile 6-3 6-4 6-2; 12-Juan Carlos Ferrero Spa bt Hernan Gumy Arg 1-6 6-3 6-7 4/7 6-2 6-3; Hyung-Taik Lee Kor bt 13-Franco Squillari Arg 7-6 7-3 7-5 6-2; 14-Nicolas Kiefer Ger bt Jonas Bjorkman Swe 6-1 6-4 6-3

Women Singles 3rd round: 1-Martina Hingis Swi bt Tathiana Garbin Ita 6-1 6-0; 3-Venus Williams US bt Meghann Shaughnessy US 7-67/3 6-1; 6-Monica Seles US bt Chanda Rubin US 6-3 4-6 6-4; 8-Nathalie Tauziat Fra bt Janet Lee Tai 6-3 6-2; 9-Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario Spa bt Allison Bradshaw US7-6 7/2 6-0; 11-Sandrine Testud Fra bt Kristie Boogert Ned 6-0 6-1; Magui Serna Spa bt 13-Amanda Coetzer SA 7-5 7-6 7/3; 15-Jennifer Capriati US bt Adriana Gersi Cze 6-2 6-3. 2nd round: 2-Lindsay Davenport US bt Kim Clijsters Bel 4-6 6-2 6-2; 4-Mary Pierce Fra bt Magdalena Maleeva Bul 7-5 2-6 6-1; 7-Conchita Martinez Spa bt Maria Antonia Sanchez Lorenzo Spa 6-3 6-2; 12-Anna Kournikova Rus bt Sandra Kleinova Cze 6-4 6-1; Lilia Osterloh US bt 14-Dominique van Roost Bel 7-6 9-7 4-6 retired

Menacirc;euro;trade;s singles: Sjeng Schalken Ned bt Adrian Voinea Rom 6-2 6-3 6-1; Wayne Arthurs Aus bt Jason Stoltenberg Aus 2-6 7-6 7/2 6-4 6-4; Todd Martin US bt Michael Chang US 6-4 6-2 6-4; Carlos Moya Spa bt Slava Dosedel Cze 6-3 4-6 7-5 6-2; Richard Fromberg Aus bt Xavier Malisse Bel 7-6 7/4 4-6 6-3 7-6 7/2; Sebastien Grosjean Fra bt Stefan Koubek Aut 6-2 6-2 4-6 6-2; Max Mirnyi Blr bt Albert Costa Spa 6-4 6-1 6-4; Thomas Johansson Swe bt Galo Blanco Spa 6-4 7-6 7/4 6-2; Roger Federer Swi bt Daniel Nestor Can 6-1 7-6 7/5 6-1; Dominik Hrbaty Slo bt Karim Alami Mor 6-3 6-4 6-3; Richard Krajicek Net bt Andre Sa Bra 6-4 6-4 6-1; Jiri Novak Cze bt Bryon Black Zim 2-6 6-3 7-5 7-6 7-4; Hicham Arazi Mor bt Wayne Ferreira SA 6-3 6-3 6-7 5-7 6-3; Rainer Schuttler Ger bt Tommy Haas Ger 7-6 7-5 6-2 6-4

Womenacirc;euro;trade;s singles: Shinobu Asagoe Jpn bt Patty Schnyder Swi 7-5 6-4; Elena Dementieva Rus bt Sylvia Plischke Aut 6-4 7-6 8-6; Tamarine Tanasugarn Tha bt Virginia Ruano Pascual Spa 3-6 6-3 6-1; Elena Likhovtseva Rus bt Els Callens Bel 7-6 7-2 4-6 6-1; Jelena Dokic Aus bt Miriam Oremans Net 6-1 6-4; Justine Henin Bel bt Alicia Molik Australia 6-2 6-2; Francesca Schiavone Ita bt Gloria Pizzichini Ita 6-4 6-4; Lisa Raymond US bt Ruxandra Dragomir Rom 6-4 6-2; Shinobu Asagoe Jpn bt Patty Schnyder Swi 7-5 6-4; Elena Dementieva Rus bt Sylvia Plischke Aut 6-4 7-6 8-6