JIM Courier stayed hard on the heels of top-seed Pete Sampras at the
Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne with a late-night 6-3,
6-3, 7-6 win over Sweden's Nicklas Kulti which took him into the last
16.
Defending champion Courier, unbeaten in Melbourne since 1991 and
dreaming of becoming the first man for 27 years to win three successive
Australian titles, was his usual powerful self on the Centre Court until
a brief wobble in the third set.
The American was 5-3 down but eventually raced away to take the final
tie-break 7-1, and faces South African Wayne Ferriera tomorrow.
Sampras had earlier booked a fourth-round meeting with another former
world No.1, Ivan Lendl, although he lapsed in mid-match against French
left-hander Stephane Simian before winning 7-5, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.
Lendl later was fined #660 for swearing during his third-round victory
over Dutchman Paul Haarhuis. Lendl had complained about several
line-calls. Goran Ivanisevic, the No.5 seed, altered his normal
attacking game on the instructions of coach Bob Brett, but still served
20 aces and smashed his racket in a fit of temper during a 3-6, 7-5,
6-3, 6-4 win over Aaron Krickstein, and later he was fined #235 for ball
abuse in an earlier round. He now faces South African Grant Stafford,
ranked 69 in the world, who upset Swiss Marc Rosset 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
In the women's singles, the chief casualty was No.7 seed Anke Huber,
who wasted three match points as she lost 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 to American
Ginger Helgeson. Steffi Graf, chasing a fourth Australian title, was a
6-2, 6-4 winner over compatriot Barbara Rittner, but 1989 finalist
Helena Sukova, seeded No.13, lost 6-4, 6-3 to France's Sandrine Testud.
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