Agassi again focused; wins third round match at U.S. Open

NEW YORK -- Various tennis fans scattered throughout Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA's National Tennis Center on a windy Saturday afternoon shouted support for Andre Agassi during his third-round match against Ramon Delgado at the U.S. Open.

When he was done beating Delgado 7-5, 7-6 (5), 6-2, Agassi thanked them by taking bows and blowing kisses before signing numerous autographs

Dressed in all white, Agassi was the picture of happiness and serenity, something that could not be said of him last year when he lost to Arnaud Clement in the second round.

It was here that Agassi revealed that his mother, Betty, and sister, Tami, had breast cancer. That news and the fact that Agassi missed some of the hard court tournaments in preparation for the Open because he was recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident following Wimbledon made it difficult for him to be successful.

Not anymore.

This year, things have been considerably better for the Las Vegan, making Agassi a dangerous opponent here once again.

"He's always one of the favorites here to win," Delgado said. "With all the problems he had last year, of course it's difficult to play and stay focused.

"This year, I think he's one of the favorites for sure."

Off the court, Agassi's mother and sister are in better health, he is expecting a child with girlfriend Stefanie Graf and he has established a charter school for urban children.

"Yeah, I feel like things are going a lot easier for me this year," said Agassi, "largely in part of just what I've learned and the things that I've gone through in the past, especially last year."

By beating Delgado, Agassi will play Switzerland's Roger Federer, a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) winner over Sjeng Schalken, in the round of 16.

In their only other meeting, Agassi defeated Federer, 6-3, 6-2 in 1998 when Federer was 17.

"I think he's one of the most talented players out there," Federer said. "The guy does everything really well.

"Has a lot of snap in his game off both wings, moves well, has great hands, big serve."

In another featured match, big-serving American Pete Sampras schooled 19-year-old Russian Mikhail Youzhny, who was the second youngest player left in the tournament, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Youzhny, making his U.S. Open debut, was overwhelmed by the four-time U.S. Open champion's brazen attack. Because the wind picked up on Louis Armstrong Stadium, Sampras took every opportunity he could to charge the net, especially off the return of serve.

"It was very difficult to play him," Youzhny said with his Russian infused English. "All the points, I felt pressure all the time.

Sampras hasn't won a tournament all year, sparking rumors that he has lost his edge and on his way to retirement.

As for all of the talk surrounding Sampras' decline, Youzhny dismissed it and Sampras simply ignores it.

"It doesn't phase me," the 30-year-old Sampras said. "I mean, I've never really worried what happens in these walls or what's being written or said.

"I'm more concerned about what happens in between the lines. That's where I feel like I give my energy to that and not what's really going on here (in press conferences). My opponents still know that I'm still right here and got to produce and do well."

Likewise, it was hard for Agassi to ignore Delgado early in their match.

The qualifier from Paraguay matched Agassi shot for shot until the third set.

Agassi won the second set tiebreaker when Delgado smashed a backhand into the net for an unforced error. The previous point, Delgado hit his forehand return of Agassi's serve wide.

Coming off the changeover before the third set, Delgado slumped his shoulders while walking back to the court and shook his head in despair.

Agassi held serve to start the final set, then the two exchanged breaks. With Delgado serving at 2-3, Agassi broke him after two deuces when Delgado's forehand down the line sailed wide.

"I felt a little flat in the beginning, but then I started finding my range," Agassi said. "I felt like I came up with some real good serves at the right time.

"The second set was a big set. I mean one set all or two sets to love is a huge swing and I think he got a little deflated there. I managed to use my experience to kind of seize the few opportunities that happened to me in those first two sets."

In other action, defending men's champion Marat Safin beat Hicham Arazi 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 while defending women's champion Venus Williams cruised past fellow American Lisa Raymond, 6-3, 6-4. Williams will play Sandrine Testud, a 6-2, 6-0 winner over Maja Matevzic.

In other third round matches on the women's side of the draw, second-seeded Jennifer Capriati rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the first set to beat Virginia Pascual, 6-4, 6-4. American Chanda Rubin put up a good fight before losing to eighth-seeded Amelie Mauresmo, 7-5, 7-5.

Unlike Agassi and Sampras who both had relatively routine matches, the last of the British contingent in the men's draw was not as fortunate.

First, ninth-seeded Tim Henman lost a grueling five-setter to Xavier Malisse 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5 4-6, 6-4 in three hours and 47 minutes at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Then, Mariano Zabaleta scored a mini-upset by defeating 30th seed Greg Rusedski, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (2). Malisse will play Zabaleta in the round of 16.

Aside from Malisse's gutsy victory, there were no other upsets or compelling matches.

The biggest drama of the day involved two players who didn't even play -- fourth-seeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt and American wildcard entrant James Blake.

During his 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Blake on Friday night, Hewitt loudly questioned the integrity of an Afican-American linesman who he alleged was showing favoritism towards Blake, who is half-black.

Hewitt became enraged after veteran linesman Marion Johnson called a second foot fault on him in the third set.

Blake ended up winning the game and Hewitt marched over to the chair umpire and demanded Johnson be replaced.

Hewitt then demanded the umpire to "Look at him. Look at him and tell me what the similarity is."

After reviewing footage of Hewitt's behavior, ITF Grand Slam referee Brian Earley said that the volatile Hewitt would not be fined or punished for his actions.

"His explanation is that he was -- he couldn't understand why the chair umpire didn't see that this was the same line umpire who had made the exact same mistake, to use Lleyton's words, 'Twice, in very short order,"' Earley said. "He couldn't understand that the chair umpire didn't realize it was the same guy.

"I will tell you looking at the tape, there was no gesture in the direction of Blake when he made the comments about the similarities. He did not use Mr. Blake's name; he didn't say 'my opponent.

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