Paris, May 31: Moroccan 23rd seed Younes El Aynaoui stumbled out of the French Open, defending champion Serena Williams romped through a whitewash in 40 minutes, Andre Agassi showed his class in a straight sets win -- but Chandra Rubin had to fight to get through to the fourth round. El Aynaoui was beaten 6-2 6-4 3-6 7-6 on Friday (May30) by Argentina's unseeded Mariano Zabaleta. Zabaleta took the first set then broke El Aynaoui in the first game of the second, which he also took. The Moroccan won the third and had a chance to level the contest when he served for the fourth set at 5-4, but was left frustrated as Zabaleta scraped to get the break back. El Aynaoui was then steamrollered in the tiebreak 7-2. Zabaleta will now play his compatriot and friend Guillermo Coria. Top seed and world number one Williams beat the unseeded Barbara Schett of Austria 6-0 6-0. The American was not at her best, but was still far too strong for the hapless Schett, who won just 20 points in all and only six in the second set. Williams will next face Japan's Ai Sugiyama after the 16th seed beat Meghann Shaughnessy of the U.S. 6-1 6-4.


Andre Agassi blasted his way past Belgium's Xavier Malisse 6-4 7-5 7-5 on Friday to move into the fourth round. The American was in sensational form racking up the victory on Chatrier Court in two hours nine minutes.


Every time Malisse did something well, Agassi bettered him including fending off three break points in a game -- one with an ace. The 1999 champion and second seed had the edge on the Belgian from the start, pummelling the ball all over the court for a convincing win. Agassi next meets Brazil's Flavio Saretta.


American eighth seed Chanda Rubin looked like she was going to be overshadowed in her centre court match against compatriot and 31st seed Laura Granville.


Rubin made lots of unforced errors in the first set and went down 2-6. But she recovered to win 2-6 6-1 6-3.


Bureau Report