Kournikova bows out

After four days the draw is thinning. Out goes Anna Kournikova or "the blonde cash machine" as Nathalie Tauzait enviously described her in a recent book.

The highest earner in the game will, naturally have to face the usual barrage of questions when she reappears at Wimbledon in three weeks time. But the end came quite swiftly and from an unlikely source, that of Austrian Sylvia Plischke ranked 32 in the world to the Russian's 15. Kournikova had won the last three meetings. Suffering from an ankle injury that requires ongoing treatment, Kournikova came to Paris with little match practice. She's now gone 71 tournaments without a title. Pressure is growing.

"I haven't played in three weeks and only practiced a few days before the tournament," said Kournikova. "I didn't have my rhythm and haven't played enough matches."

The organisers will, however, be thankful that no more big names in the women's tournament crashed. Down to 32 from 128 main draw starters, the top seeds are beginning to find greater definition in the scatter of remaining players.

Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, Amelie Mauresmo, Venus Williams, Conchita Martinez and Mary Pierce each came through with no small measure of confidence. Hingis took an hour-and-a-half to dismiss Julia Abe with Mauresmo advancing 6-3, 6-4 in 80 minutes. Pierce was occasionally awesome against Barbara Rittner, her dipping forehand devastating but her mobility still open to question.

Seles' 53 minute game against Emmanuelle Gagliardi, finishing 61, 6-1. "You try not to have mercy," said Seles afterwards. "No one has taken mercy on me when I was in that situation." Williams, in the bottom half of the draw, is still nursing wrists which prevented her from playing much of last year. Her estimation of the state of her game is that it is more than 20 per cent off peak.

"It's unbelievable because I've won two matches in-a-row for the first time this year. I think I'm at four wins, two losses. Stats are going up," she said.