Tennis/US Open: Lleyton Hewitt came through a sticky start to beat mercurial Moroccan Hicham Arazi 7-6, 6-1 6-2 in the second round of the US Open yesterday.
The Australian fourth seed, winner in 2001, took victory after withstanding some early brilliance from the free-flowing Arazi, who squandered two chances to win the first-set tiebreak.
Hewitt received a warning for unsportsmanlike behaviour after a slashing a ball away in anger in the opening set as he struggled to find his range.
But having got his nose ahead, Hewitt broke the deflated Arazi's first two service games in the second set to love to take firm control of the match.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Capriati held off rising Russian Vera Douchevina to book her place in the fourth round of the women's competition.
The 28-year-old former world number one started like an express train but was made to work overtime by 17-year-old Douchevina before winning 6-0, 6-7, 6-3.
"I maybe took my foot off the gas a bit but she raised her game after starting nervously," said Capriati, who has never reached the final at her home grand slam.
Capriati whistled through the first set in 17 minutes but, showing tremendous maturity, former Wimbledon junior champion Douchevina began to use the angles to great effect.
Despite losing a 5-3 lead in the second set Douchevina held her nerve to win the tiebreak.
However, Capriati raised her game when she needed to in the decider and closed the match out with a 117mph serve after one hour 35 minutes.
Amelie Mauresmo's bid for a first grand slam title gathered pace with a clinical 6-2, 6-0 destruction of Venezuela's Maria Vento-Kabchi.
The French second seed needed just 57 minutes to book a place in the fourth round, hitting eight aces and 19 winners in a performance full of authority.
It was by far the most impressive display so far from Mauresmo, who had looked nervy in a three-set victory over Ukraine's Julia Vakulenko on Wednesday.
"I felt much more comfortable today with my movement and my groundstrokes, it felt like things were coming together," said the 25-year-old who could challenge for the world number one spot.
Mauresmo, whose best performance at Flushing Meadows was a semi-final appearance in 2002, will play American wild card Angela Haynes or 16th seed Francesca Schiavone in the fourth round.
Joining Olympic silver medallist Mauresmo in the fourth round was Japan's Ai Sugiyama, the 12th seed, who made light work of beating Croatia's Jelena Kostanic 6-1, 6-3.
French Open runner-up Elena Dementieva reached the fourth round of the competition without hitting a ball after Nathalie Dechy pulled out with an injury.
The 28th-seeded Frenchwoman cited a left thigh strain for her withdrawal.
Sixth seed Dementieva now plays either fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva, the 10th seed, or Colombia's Fabiola Zuluaga for a place in the quarter-finals.
Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova is out, however, sliding to defeat at the hands of Switzerland's Patty Schnyder, who won out 6-4, 4-6, 7-6.
In the men's tournament, comeback kid Tommy Haas upset 12th seed Sebastien Grosjean to move into the third round yesterday.
The German former world number two, who missed the whole of last season after shoulder surgery, came through 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 in two hours 40 minutes.
Haas, the world number 45, returned to competition in February this year and has gradually climbed the rankings, recently defeating Andre Agassi on his way to claiming the title in Los Angeles.
"I'm just enjoying being back at this tournment and being able to compete again," said Haas. "I'm slowly getting back into things and the shoulder is holding up."
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