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MELBOURNE - Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis sprinted towards a potential quarter-final showdown at the Australian Open courtesy of straight sets wins yesterday.
Clijsters' former fiance Lleyton Hewitt, however, struggled against Canadian Frank Dancevic before he finally lunged into the third round with a 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
victory.
Hingis and Clijsters entered the two showcourts at Melbourne Park at almost the same time for their second-round matches, with both eager to get back to the locker room the quickest.
Fourth seed Clijsters crossed the tape first as she whipped Japan's Akiko Morigami 6-3, 6-0 in 59 minutes under a closed roof in the Rod Laver Arena because of rain.
Hingis, seeded sixth, lagged behind by nine minutes but was impressive in a 6-2, 6-2 win over Russian teenager Alla Kudryavtseva.
"We almost won at around the same time and then we came into the locker room and she's like, 'Damn, you beat me, you were there first'," said Clijsters.
Fans can look forward to seeing a lot more of a bearded James Blake after he dispatched fellow-American Alex Kuznetsov 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.
"Once I start winning, I don't shave, it's a superstition," the fifth seed, told the crowd.
"Once something starts working you've got to stick with it."
With rain delaying the start of play on the outside courts for 90 minutes, it was left to Clijsters to provide the entertainment.
Playing at Melbourne Park for the last time before retiring from tennis at the end of the year, Clijsters is determined to leave her mark.
At 4-2 up, Clijsters provided one of the day's lighter moments. Scurrying towards the baseline in an attempt to retrieve a Morigami shot, and when she was unable to get behind it she improvised.
Grabbing the racket with both hands and with her back still turned towards the net, she smacked the ball over her head, hoping against hope that it would clear her side of the court.
It did not.
She saw the funny side of her efforts and shook her head with laughter as the crowd roared their approval.
Hewitt, though, gave the fans plenty of anxious moments as he continued his mission to end Australia's search for their first men's champion since 1976.
Top seed Maria Sharapova made up for her marathon opening victory with a 6-0, 6-3 drubbing of fellow-Russian Anastassia Rodionova.
Sharapova, who was within two points of defeat by Frenchwoman Camille Pin in searing midday heat on Tuesday, looked much more comfortable on a cooler evening and clinched victory in 58 minutes.
- REUTERS