Tennis: Usual suspects advance in Nasdaq-100 Open

Andre Agassi

MIAMI - Six-time champion Andre Agassi began his 19th Nasdaq-100 Open tennis campaign with a 7-5, 6-4 second-round win over Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu yesterday.

World No 1 Roger Federer also overcame sweltering conditions to beat Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-1.

Amelie Mauresmo, the top seed in the women's event, had a fright before eliminating Russian Maria Kirilenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Ninth seed Agassi had to wait until the end of the first set to break Mathieu's resistance but once he had taken the lead he showed little sign of surrendering it.

The 34-year-old American, watched by wife Steffi Graf, shrugged off pre-tournament worries about his injured toe.

"I felt it a little bit, but when I pushed through it never got worse, so that was reassuring," Agassi said.

"It was a tough match. There's nothing I take for granted out there, especially not these days, and it was a good one to get through."

Federer needed only 71 minutes against Rochus to extend his winning streak to 17 matches.

The Swiss has now won 43 of his last 44 contests, stretching back to last August's US Open. His one defeat this season was at the hands of Russian Marat Safin in the semifinals of the Australian Open in January.

Since then Federer has won consecutive titles in Rotterdam, Dubai and, last week, at Indian Wells.

Unseeded Kim Clijsters also kept up her hot streak by overcoming American Amy Frazier 6-2, 6-3.

The former world No 1 from Belgium, playing her third event since missing most of last year with a wrist injury, has lost only one of her 12 matches since launching her comeback last month.

Clijsters last week won the Pacific Life Open title at Indian Wells. Her victory over Frazier was her ninth in succession and set up a third-round match against Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy.

"I'm working hard and I'm feeling very fit out there," Clijsters said.

Britain's Tim Henman also progressed with an efficient 6-3, 7-5 triumph over Czech Ivo Minar.

"It's really hot out there. Those are conditions where you don't want to be out there any longer than necessary," sixth seed Henman said.

Last year's runner-up, fourth seed Guillermo Coria, negotiated his way past Davide Sanguinetti, beating the Italian 6-1, 6-4.

Argentina's Coria had to retire from last year's final against Andy Roddick with back pain.

Defending champion Roddick had to pull out of the tournament yesterday due to a wrist injury.

Australian Mark Philippoussis withdrew after spraining his left ankle in his first-round win over Rochus' brother, Christophe.

Mauresmo said she might have benefited in her match with Kirilenko from the 10-minute break players are given before the third set under the WTA's extreme heat rule.

"I was capable of coming back on court after the break and really being able to give 100 per cent. Maybe it wasn't really the case for her," Mauresmo said.

"She played really well, in that first set especially. It took me a little time today and I finally got my game together."

- REUTERS