Kuerten claims Safin scalp in New York
The most explosive of floaters blew up in Marat Safin's face on Friday as a fit-once-more Gustavo Kuerten sent the Russian second seed packing from the U.S. Open second round 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
Top seed last year but unseeded this time round, Kuerten is the only player since the U.S. Open turned professional in 1968 to have suffered such a steep fall from grace at the tournament in just 12 months.
It has been injuries and hip surgery, however, which have torpedoed his ranking and the former world number one put them all behind him to blow the 2000 champion off court.
"This is the happiest day for me this year on a tennis court," said Kuerten, who had not beaten a top 10 player all year.
"I feel like I have nothing to lose now.
"To tell you the truth I don't see anything that can put me under pressure. I am just enjoying myself.
"I just want to win matches...get my confidence back. I have spent a lot of time practising and in the gym and this is payback."
OLD ADVERSARY
Coming into the Open having lost 10 of his 23 matches this year, Kuerten carried no form to speak of, but the three-times French Open champion turned on the style to pummel his old adversary.
The mighty Russian had no answer to Kuerten's tracer-like groundstrokes and deceptively powerful serving as the Brazilian found ever-more acute angles off the ground.
"He played one of his best matches," Safin sighed. "He was just...well, I had no chance to return his serve.
"Then of course he got confident."
Women's world number one Serena Williams was also full of confidence as she demolished Nathalie Dechy 6-1, 6-1.
Wearing a more traditional pink top and black shorts in place of the eye-popping skin-tight, black lycra outfit that drew stares in her opening two matches, Williams needed only 49 minutes to dispose of the 26th-seeded Frenchwoman.
"I'm just getting better," the American beamed. "'Pretty in Pink'...I love pink, it's my new favourite colour."
Britain's Tim Henman also avoided any New York pitfalls, serve-volleying his way past Belgian qualifier Dick Norman 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
The fifth seed has never gone beyond the fourth round at the final grand slam of the year, but looked fit and focused on a damp and overcast day five.
PRETTY COMFORTABLE
Kicking his serves with heavy topspin and floating his approach shots on to the lines, Henman showed no sign of the shoulder injury which has troubled him to dominate from the start of the one-hour 54-minute match.
He will next face Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela.
"I felt pretty comfortable out there," the Briton said.
Third seed Tommy Haas also advanced without any fuss. The German beat former top 10 player Karol Kucera of Slovakia 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
Andy Roddick must also have felt great having celebrated his 20th birthday in some style. He beat Dutchman Raemon Sluiter 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 with ease.
Pete Sampras powered into the third round, brushing aside Dane Kristian Pless 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.
The winner of a record 13 grand slam titles never allowed Pless a look in on the Arthur Ashe stadium court, serving with great precision and keeping his opponent on the back foot at all times.
The American will next meet Greg Rusedski, a runner-up here in 1997, after the Briton pulled out all the stops to beat in-form Thai Paradorn Srichaphan 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4.
Women's eighth seed Justine Henin of Belgium advanced smoothly, ending New York native Bea Bielik's run 7-5, 6-1.
"It's always hard to play someone that you have never heard anything about," said Henin.
Bielik, the reigning NCAA champion, fell apart in the second set as Henin took control and breezed to a 65-minute triumph.
"Obviously I'm satisfied with the effort that I've given this week," said Bielik, whose ranking will leap almost 900 points to 255th.
Lindsay Davenport, champion here in 1998 and fourth seed this year, wasted no time dismissing French qualifier Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-1 to enhance her championship credentials.
"I felt like I was controlling the points," she smiled. I'm playing well enough...I haven't taken any steps backwards."
