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Bhupati-Kafelnikov breeze through opener

Mahesh Bhupathi and Yevgeny Kafelnikov won their second round match in the $915,000 Mercedes Cup clay court tournament in Stuttgart, Germany.

The top-ranked pair defeated the Argentinian pair of L. Arnold and L. Lobo, 6:2, 7:5 to enter quarterfinal. The Argentinians had, in the earlier round, accounted for the much higher ranked pair from Sweden, of Magnus Gustafsson and Magnus Larsson, 6:4, 6:2.

For Bhupathi and Kafelnikov, who are playing together for the first time, it is turning out to be quite a relaxed tournament. They had a bye in the first round, and now they have R&R time till tomorrow, since their next opponents will only be known then.

The identity of their opponents hinges on the first round match between T. Hass (Germany)/M. Safin (Russia) versus A Olhovskiy (Russia)/P Vizner (CZE), to be played today. The winner of this meeting will play the eighth seeded pair of T. Kempers (NED)/A. Kitinov (MKD) in the second round, the winners of this game going on to play the Bhupathi-Kafelnikov combine.

In the other half of the draw, seeds tumbled. The second seeded American pair of D Johnson and F Montana were beaten in the second round by C Haggard (RSA)/J Waite (USA) 7:6(5), 6:4, while the sixth seeded pair of D. Adams (RSA) /F. Wibier (NED) were defeated by O. Deliatre (FRA)/F. Santoro (FRA) 4:6,2:6.

The third seeded pair J. Eagle (AUS)/J. Grabb (USA) defeated J. Alonso (ESP)/G. Koves (Hun) 6:2, 6:4, while other prominent winners included D. Orsanic (ARG)/C. Suk (CZE), who beat J. Balcells (ESP)/D. Bowen (USA) 6:1, 2:6, 6:2 and fifth seeds N. Broad (GBR)/P. Norval (RSA) who downed L. Pimek (BEL)/T. Zdrazila (CZE) 6:3, 6:4.