TENNIS/Australian Open: There are many exceptionally talented players in the world capable of playing incredible matches, and Andre Agassi knew well that there was danger lurking in the lean and hungry shape of Nicolas Escude. For it was in this stadium in 2001, on a special grass court, that the Frenchman stunned the Australians by defeating Lleyton Hewitt in the final of the Davis Cup, thereby setting up a shock victory for France.
From Stephen Bierley
at Melbourne Park
"You stick a competitor's heart and mind in a guy that has potential, and anything can happen," said Agassi, who knew he had to dampen Escude's competitive edge as quickly as possible to prevent the Frenchman from igniting and burning through his own defences.
Agassi succeeded, winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach tomorrow's fourth round, but there were anxious moments in the third set for the number two seed which his next opponent, the 21-year-old Argentinian Guillermo Coria, will have noted.
Coria was suspended at this time last year having failed a drugs test, although he argued that the drug entered his body in a food supplement. His 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Finland's Jarkko Nieminen put him into the last 16 of a grand slam for the first time.
Escude was a semi-finalist here in 1998, when he was 21. He has never gone as far in a slam since, and these days is likely to cause the occasional big upset rather than challenge for major honours.
In the third set, Escude had point after point to ram home an advantage based on a whipped double-fisted backhand of ferocious power, coupled with complete dominance at the net.
"That third set was pretty fortunate for me all the way around. He's the sort of player that lives and dies by the sword," said Agassi. "It's a risky play, and you just have to hope that he's going to miss more than he gets in.
It was a tough day for the number four seed, Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, who took five sets to defeat France's Fabrice Santoro, that frustrating purveyor of the unorthodox. Two other five-set winners were Felix Mantilla, who beat the French Open champion Albert Costa, and South Africa's Wayne Ferreira (31), who came from two sets down against the American Mardy Fish.
With Goran Ivanisevic poised to return to the circuit after a shoulder operation, Croatia appears to have another future grand slam champion in the 18-year-old Mario Ancic, who is coached by the Dutchman Sven Groeneveld.
Ancic, who beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon last year, reached the last 32 in only his third slam with a 2-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over the Australian wild card Peter Luczac. But the most unlikely player to reach the fourth round was Sargis Sargsian, who knocked out Mark Philippoussis, returning after injury.
In the women's competition, the fascination of this year's Australian Open is whether Venus can regain her status as the senior player among the Williams siblings. For there is no doubt that Serena's domination has made life hard for Venus.
"Last year was tough," she said yesterday. "I think I was always mentally and physically tired by trying to go the extra mile to do my best. I didn't really want to go out and practise all the time."
Yesterday she reached the last 32 with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Anca Barna of Germany.
"I enjoy tennis a lot when I'm winning, but when things get a little tight I tend to be a little bitter about my performance. That's natural."
What is not natural is to be beaten regularly by your younger sister, and there seems no doubt that should this continue then Venus may decide, sooner rather than later, to quit, something her father, Richard, has always urged her to do.
"If I'm not enjoying my tennis then I'll definitely take a step back and re-evaluate my life. But I do not spend a lot of time feeling sorry for myself."
Having dominated the first set against Barna she then trailed 4-1 and 0-40 in the second, before rapidly turning it around.
There were easy wins for Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne, the fifth seed, and Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, seeded eighth. Henin now plays the ninth seed Lindsay Davenport for a place in the quarter-finals, with the American holding a 5-0 career advantage. The last time they met, in Zurich last year, Henin accused Davenport of faking an injury, something which will add considerable spice to tomorrow's match.
