Marat Safin has pulled out of the Australian Open because of injury robbing the tournament of one of its biggest drawcards.
The popular Russian third seed, runner-up last year, pulled out before his third-round match with Germany's Rainer Schuettler after taking medical advice about a wrist injury.
Safin staged a news conference early today where he broke the news. "My wrist is bothering me so I decided not to play," he said.
"The doctor told me I should not play. It could make it worse. It was not worth it."
But the two top seeds Serena Williams and Lleyton Hewitt advanced to the last 16 in some style.
After a slowish start world number one Hewitt hammered Czech Radek Stepanek 6-3 6-2 6-0 to set up a last-16 showdown with Morocco's Younes El Aynaoui.
Hewitt's counterpart in the women's draw, top seed Williams, swept aside the challenge of Thai Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-1 6-1 to earn a clash with Greek Eleni Daniilidou.
Hewitt's long-term girlfriend Clijsters brushed aside Belarussian Tatiana Poutchek 6-2 6-1. The fourth-seeded Belgian faces South Africa's Amanda Coetzer in the next round.