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.