Kuerten and Ferrero cruise through

Ossian Shine

Tournament favourites Gustavo Kuerten and Juan Carlos Ferrero blasted their way into the third round of the French Open on Wednesday with powerful performances.

Top seed and defending champion Kuerten hammered Argentine Agustin Calleri 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, while Ferrero outclassed Marcos Ondruska 6-2, 6-2, 6-0.

The claycourt specialists were joined in the third round by 11th-seeded Briton Tim Henman, who crushed Dutchman Sjeng Schalken 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

In the women's draw, 12th and 14th seeds Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin of Belgium booked their third-round places with victories over Argentine opponents.

Henin lit up the sun-drenched Roland Garros Centre Court with some sparkling tennis as she beat Paola Suarez 6-3, 6-4, while Clijsters defeated Mariana Diaz-Oliva 7-5, 6-1.

CUSTOMARY POWER

Kuerten hit with his customary power to rack up his second straight-sets win of the tournament.

The Brazilian suffered one mini-crisis when he was broken when serving for the second set at 5-2, with Calleri holding confidently in his next service game to hint at a possible comeback.

Kuerten's poise returned in the next game, though, as he held for the set and he also kept his nerve when the Argentine forced a break point early in the third.

Kuerten, French Open champion in 1997 as well as last year, will face Karim Alami of Morocco or Israel's Harel Levy in the third round.

"I think the experience I have gained here in the past has helped me," Kuerten said. "It was special out there today. Paris is like my second home."

RUTHLESS DISPLAY

Fourth seed Ferrero wasted no time in booking his third-round place on Court Suzanne Lenglen, producing a ruthless display to crush South African doubles specialist Ondruska in only 99 minutes.

Ferrero, like Kuerten a winner of three claycourt titles this year, dispelled any fitness worries with a powerful performance.

"This was a very good start," he said. "I believe that I was very strong throughout this match. I played a complete game without any mistakes."

Henin's full repertoire of strokes was on show as she overcame a stuttering start to entertain the day three crowd in the French capital.

With her blonde pony-tail hanging from the back of a pristine white cap, the 18-year-old danced tirelessly across the Philippe Chatrier court to oust the 28th-ranked Argentine.

ATTACK MORE

"I will have to get more consistent as the tournament goes on," she said. "I must attack a bit more, especially on my serve."

Clijsters followed her compatriot into the third round with a comfortable win, though the 17-year-old struggled initially on a sun-scorched Court One before overcoming her gutsy opponent.

The 25-year-old Diaz-Oliva had won the pair's only previous clash earlier this year in the Croatian Open, and she looked in good shape in the early rallies.

Once Clijsters clinched the first set, however, she turned up the pressure and the Argentine folded.

America's young hope Andy Roddick clashes with 1989 French Open champion and compatriot Michael Chang in the late match on Centre Court.

The 18-year-old Roddick sites Chang as an early inspiration and says the 1989 final - which Chang won as a 17-year-old - was one of his earliest tennis memories.

Fifteenth seed Jelena Dokic, making her debut as a Grand Slam seed, will be looking to continue her run of superb form when she meets America's Marissa Irvin on Court Two.

The 18-year-old Yugoslav won her first title earlier this month at the Italian Open in Rome.