Hewitt and Clijsters on course for love double
Australian favourite Hewitt and Belgian fourth seed Clijsters blasted their second round opponents aside with merciless performances, dropping just two games between them.
Hewitt took just 74 minutes to blow away compatriot Todd Larkham, ranked No. 235 in the world, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1. Clijsters was even more ruthless as she dispatched Hungary's Petra Mandula 6-0, 6-0.
Hewitt, renowned as the fittest player on the men's tour, spent the Christmas period hard in training with girlfriend Clijsters.
The work appears to be paying off for Clijsters, who looked tack-sharp against Mandula, ranked 98 in the world. Clijsters also has the useful advantage of overwhelming support from the Melbourne fans, one reason why many see her as the biggest threat to the domination of Venus and Serena Williams.
Top seed and world number one Serena Williams recovered from her opening round hiccup when she was taken to three sets by Frenchwoman Emilie Loit to easily beat Belgium's Els Callens. Williams secured a third round meeting with Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn with a 6-4, 6-0 win in 56 minutes.
The 21-year-old American top seed, who is looking to complete her set of Grand Slam titles here after victories at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open last season, said she was yet to reach her peak.
"I'm still not quite comfortable with where I want to be right now," Williams said. "But it's getting better and better and I don't want to peak too soon."
Monica Seles' dream of adding a fifth Australian Open title to add to her nine career Grand Slams ended in the Margaret Court Arena as world number 113 Koukalova prevailed 6-7 (6/8), 7-5, 6-3.
Former world number one Seles was struggling to compete after spraining an ankle badly in the third game of the first set.
"It was a struggle, I just tried to fight through the pain but it was too much," Seles said. "I tried to block it out, but I could feel it when I had to move, and she made me move today."
Elsewhere in the women's draw yesterday, American 10th seed Chanda Rubin had to fight from a set down before beating France's Mary Pierce 0-6, 6-4, 6-2.
In the men's tournament, Russian third seed Marat Safin came through against Spaniard Albert Montanes in four sets, winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Safin will face Germany's Rainer Schuettler in the third round. Schuettler beat former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.
But it was another Australian Open disappointment for Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten, who was beaten in five sets by the Czech Republic's Radek Stepanek, losing 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. The loss continued Kuerten's dismal run at the Australian Open where he has failed to reach the third round in seven attempts.
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