Paris, May 29: Former champions Andre Agassi and Carlos Moya advanced to the third round of the French Open here in contrasting fashion, as another past hero of the Roland Garros clay courts, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, conceded it could be over for him. Agassi, who came from two sets down to win the title here in 1999, performed a similar Houdini act against Croatian teen Mario Ancic yesterday winning 5-7 1-6 6-4 6-2 7-5 and writing himself into the history books again with a record 763 career wins, one more than American rival Pete Sampras.
Agassi now meets Xavier Malisse, the Belgian 26th seed, for a place in the last 16.
But while the Las Vegan showed at 33 years that he still has the stamina to take on the youngsters, 1996 champion Kafelnikov admitted that at 29 years he felt he was past it.
The Russian was considering his future after going out 6-4 3-6 6-0 6-7 (0/7) 6-4 to 22-year-old Brazilian Flavio Saretta following a 3hr 55min marathon. Fourth seed Moya, who has struggled to make his mark at Roland Garros since winning as a 21-year-old in 1998, scored his second straight win here over Australian Mark Philippoussis 6-2 6-4 7-6 (9/7) and next meets 31 seed Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina.
In the women's event Slovak ninth seed Daniela Hantuchova was packing her bags after her shock 7-6 (7/2) 4-6 9-7 loss to American newcomer Ashley Harkleroad in 3hr 08min.
Hantuchova found her game briefly to level after the second set only to slide 1-5 down in the decider. When she levelled for 5-5 it appeared she had come out of her nosedive - but 52nd-ranked Harkleroad, making her senior debut here, was determined not to lose her big chance.
Defending women's champion Serena Williams of the US raced into the third round after slamming Switzerland's Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian 6-3 6-2 in 1hr 07min and admitted that despite her 22 titles she was never really pushing herself too hard. Top seed Williams next meets Austrian Barbara Schett who won a three setter against last year's semi-finalist Clarisa Fernandez of Argentina.
Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne, however, feels the same after coming through 6-2 6-2 over Croatian Jelena Kostanic in 1hr 13min, and next meets Madagascar's dally Randriantefy.
Fifth seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo meets Colombia's Fabiola Zuluaga after racing past Russia's Lina Krasnoroutskaya 6-1 6-2.
Meanwhile former women's champion Iva Majoli of Croatia, who has struggled with injury since winning the title in 1997, fell to American Laura Granville, the 31st seed 6-1 6-2.