Agassi and Serena turn up the heat as Ferreira crashes
With temperatures soaring past 30°C, the two Americans booked their places in the last 16 with performances that set them up for the second week.
It was a good day too for the large Argentine contingent with big wins for red-hot Guillermo Coria and for battling Mariano Zabaleta.
But there was agony for veteran South African Wayne Ferreira who was stretchered off after damaging a thigh while lunging for a forehand return sending Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuettler of Germany into the fourth round.
In the women’s singles French favourite Amelie Mauresmo kept on track for a quarter-final showdown with Serena Williams, and there were comfortable wins for fourth-seed Justin Henin- Hardenne of Belgium and her next opponent Patty Schnyder of Switzerland.
Second-seeded Agassi went through 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 in 2hrs 9mins against the skilful Belgian Xavier Malisse and next plays Flavio Saretta of Brazil for a place in the quarter-finals.
The 33-year-old Agassi, who had next to no preparation for the clay-court championship, ran into a fine vein of form after saving two break points at 4-3 to Malisse in the first set.
In a match featuring two players who had come back from two sets down to win in the previous round, Malisse refused to wilt faced with the prospect of doing the same thing again against one of the greatest players of all time.
Games went with serve until 5-5 in the third set when Agassi forced a break point and converted it with a perfect top-spin lob which shattered the net-charging Malisse.
The American, one of the best finishers in the sport, wrapped up matters in the next game with Malisse hitting wide on match point.
Agassi said he was delighted he had been able to put the game away in straight sets.
“Each set was pretty close and it could have gone either way, but three sets is a lot better than five and it could have gone five quite easily today.
“He is a great player to watch and that can be a problem, but I just had to stay solid and make him make as many great shots as possible.
“I came here needing matches and to get through the first week is a good thing and I can only improve from here.”
Agassi is the sole American survivor in the men’s singles with the defeat of Vince Spadea at the hands of Martin Verkerk of the Netherlands and he is surrounded by a plethora of Spanish and South American claycourt specialists.
The American would be halfway to the Grand Slam if he wins here following his triumph in the Australian Open in January.
Defending champion Serena Williams showed no mercy to Barbara Schett, crushing the Austrian 6-0, 6-0 in just 40 minutes.Williams, who has won the last four Grand Slams in a row, next meets 16th seed Ai Sugiyama of Japan, who swept past US 18th seed Meghann Shaughnessy 6-1, 6-4.
Ferreira, the number 22 seed, was leading 3-2 in the fourth set but was two sets to one down when he chased down a punched drive to the backcourt from Schuettler. Slipping on the red clay, he lost his balance, did the splits and went sprawling on his back.
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