Heat fells Agassi opponent - Sampras scrapes through in rugged conditions

Agassi, seeded sixth, reaped the benefit when David Prinosil, of Germany, quit while trailing 5-0 in the second set. Agassi had won the first set, 13-11, in a tiebreaker, coming through after saving six set points in 33-degree Celsius weather. An exhausted Prinosil was checked out by the trainer before giving up. Court-smart Agassi, 30, took what he could get. "It was hot out there, no question, they were tough conditions. You never want to see it end like that, but you're out there working hard. Sometimes, something gives," he said.

"The court was playing so much faster due to the heat. It was difficult to stay in control of the shots. Some were getting away from me. I was scared to let the swing go." Agassi next faces local personality Andrew Ilie, who showed young Russian Mikhail Youzhny the look and feel of Aussie crowd support in a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 6-2 decision. Sampras, twice an Open champion, looked clearly battered by the heat-wave conditions in the Rod Laver arena. The American fought off fatigue as he struggled to impose his game against an Argentine making his debut at the Grand Slam, but finally gained an energy-sapping five-set win, his third in as many matches at the Open.

The last thing the competition-short, 29-year-old Sampras wanted was another another struggle that went the full distance. He finally overcame 21-year-old Juan Chela, 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, to reach the fourth round and move into a confrontation against old friend Todd Martin, who knocked out Cedric Pioline, the French number 13, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The fifth set was especially draining for Sampras. He broke for a 3-1 margin, then briefly sat in a shaded lineswoman's chair for an impromptu moment of rest.

The recovery tactic seemed to work, with the 13-time Grand Slam winner hammering over three straight aces to hold serve to love, then finished his job on court after three hours, eight minutes. Second seed Marat Safin looked like a different player than the one who disconsolately announced an elbow injury last week. The Russian powered easily into the final 16 over Czech Michal Tabara, 6-1, 6-1, 6-4. Patrick Rafter got the feel of Swiss outsider Michel Kratochvil in a combatative opening set, then bore down for a 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 victory, ending with an ace after one hour, 55 minutes.

"It was bloody hot and I've never seen him play," said the 12th seed. "Everyone wants to get on and off quickly, you don't want to mess around. "In the third set I was banking on a four-setter, after I lost rhythm in the third and he picked up his game." Rafter, who kindly directed a ballboy to deliver his used yellow shirt to a man in a wheelchair high up in the stands, called his form "pretty solid, but it needs to be sharper and better for me to carry on."

Women's holder Lindsay Davenport managed to pull her ragged game tighter together, confirming a timely rise in form with a win over Italian Silvia Farina Elia, 6-2, 6-1. "I'm a lot happier with the way I played," she said. "I was hitting with more power and depth that I've been lacking the last couple of matches. You can tell when you're hitting the ball cleanly and well, even when you might not win every point."

Davenport next faces Belgian 15th seed Kim Clijsters, who crushed Spaniard Nuria Llagostera, 6-0, 6-1, winning the first 11 games. Eighth seed Anna Kournikova constructed a competent fightback to beat dangerous Austrian Barbara Schett, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. Last year's semi-finalist Jennifer Capriati beat Virginia Ruano-Pascual, 6-0, 6-2, of Spain, while Belgian Justine Henin ousted 14th seed Sandrine Testud of France, 6-4, 6-2.

(la/dpa)