Safin, Agassi into US Open third round

Title holder Marat Safin and former champion Andre Agassi both had to survive fierce battles to reach the third round of the …

Title holder Marat Safin and former champion Andre Agassi both had to survive fierce battles to reach the third round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.

Safin outslugged Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic 7-6, (7-5), 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5) in a classic clash of big hitters. Agassi waged some intense groundstroke warfare to defeat Chilean Nicolas Massu 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7-1).

Joining Agassi and Safin in the third round was British ninth seed Tim Henman, who outfought Brazil's Fernando Meligeni 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to set up a meeting with Belgian Xavier Malisse.

Malisse, now working with Henman's former coach David Felgate, ousted French 21st seed Fabrice Santoro 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

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Four-time champion Pete Sampras went through to the third round with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-3 victory over Brazilian Andre Sa.

On the women's side, second seed Jennifer Capriati reached the third round by routing Australian Evie Dominikovic 6-2, 6-0.

Fifth seed Kim Clijsters advanced 6-3, 6-2 against American Allison Bradshaw before pulling out of the doubles because of the lingering effects of a strained thigh muscle.

Defending champion Venus Williams easily dispatched fellow American Meilen Tu 6-2, 6-2. But Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria, the 15th seed, was sent packing by 68th-ranked Australian Alicia Molik, who posted a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 second-round victory.

Other women's seeds advancing included France's Amelie Mauresmo (8), Nathalie Tauziat (9) and Sandrine Testud (18), Elena Dementieva of Russia (11) and German Anke Huber (17).