Ferrero out, Federer advances

Hampered by rib and stomach injuries, the Spaniard stumbled to a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 defeat in fading sunshine on centre court.

"It's very difficult to defend a title when you are not 100 percent," he said, drawing a line under the miserable performance.

Serena Williams narrowly avoided a similar fate, the second seed made to scramble all the way before beating 100th-ranked Maria Kirilenko of Russia 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

"I just want to look at the stats -- I think I made about a thousand mistakes," Serena shrugged. "I just had a bad day, couldn't keep a ball in. You know, just one of those days."

Serena's elder sister Venus toiled for an hour and 21 minutes to beat Jelena Kostanic of Croatia 6-3, 6-3. That win set up a last-32 clash against former champion Mary Pierce who pummelled Spain's Gala Leon Garcia 6-1, 6-1.

Ferrero's exit was an ignominious one for a player who had never lost earlier than the semi-finals at Roland Garros, and it matched that of women's champion Justine Henin-Hardenne on Wednesday.

"I don't feel too good physically. Always I can't get to the ball, I arrived too late. The rib was okay but then I felt some problems, some cramps in the adductor. I couldn't move so well. It was very difficult to stay in the match with two injuries."

Only three times before, since tennis turned professional in 1968, had a men's champion lost in the second round, but the writing was on the wall the moment Ferrero stepped on court.

MANY FRIENDS

Lethargic and dispirited, he allowed Andreev to take the initiative from the start.

The 20-year-old Russian had not won a grand slam match before the tournament but he produced a fine display of attacking tennis to knock out the fourth seed, sealing victory with an ace.

"It feels unbelievable, all my dreams have come true... I don't know how to explain it," Andreev said.

Roger Federer made many friends on the centre court with a crowd-pleasing victory over Nicolas Kiefer to reach the third round.

The world number one had not won a match on the Parisian centre stage before but so enthralled was the crowd by his 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 victory, it will be hard for organisers to schedule him anywhere other than the main arena in future.

Like Ferrero, Federer was far from his best but against Kiefer he never had to be.

"It was important to get used to the centre court," he smiled. "I am happy I got through.

"It was okay. But I think I will have to play a little bit better next match."

The Wimbledon and Australian Open champion now meets a player who has made centre court his own, three-times former champion Gustavo Kuerten.

The Brazilian stormed into the third round with a 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 win over Belgian Gilles Elseneer.

"It will be a great match for the tournament," Federer said. "If I can get through him that is for me a huge step."

CONFIDENT FORM

Federer and Kuerten were joined in the third round by another former world number one, Lleyton Hewitt, who beat Austrian Juergen Melzer 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

"I feel pretty confident where my game's at at the moment," the 12th-seeded Australian said. "I feel confident maybe overall more, maybe moving a little bit better on clay this year purely because I've spent a little bit more time on it."

Marat Safin diced with danger against Spain's Felix Mantilla, allowing the Spaniard off the hook on countless occasions and the match was finally suspended at 2137 local time (1937 GMT) due to fading light with the pair locked at 7-7 in the fifth set.

Earlier, seventh-seeded American Jennifer Capriati out-gunned Czech qualifier Kveta Peschke 7-5, 6-3, wrapping up victory after 73 minutes when Peschke netted a backhand volley having saved two match points.

"I did what I had to do to basically win the match," Capriati, the 2001 champion said. "Maybe it took me a little while to get going and wake up there a little bit.

Capriati is on course for a quarter-final against Serena Williams.