体坛英语新闻：Nadal advances to third round at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Top seed Rafael Nadal produced another brilliant display at the Australian Open, defeating Croat Roko Karanusic 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in the second round on Thursday in Melbourne.

The Spaniard, looking to win his first Australian Open title, finished Karanusic in just one hour and 37 minutes.

    The 22-year-old has a 3-0 record against his third round opponent, former World No. 2 Tommy Haas.

    The German, a three-time Australian Open semifinalist, dominated Italian Flavio Cipolla 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 as he hit 36 winners and converted eight of his 20 break point chances.

Rafael Nadal of Spain serves during the second round match of men's singles against Roko Karanusic of Croatia at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Jan. 22, 2009. Rafael Nadal won 3-0 (6-2,6-3,6-2).

    "Going to be the first big opponent, I think. It's gonna be a very good test to see how I am. I'm going to have to play very well if I want to have chances to win. I think he won today very easy. It seems he's playing well," Nadal said about Haas.

    World No. 8 Gilles Simon of France dismissed the last Australian standing in the 2009 men's draw, overcoming an early challenge to defeat Chris Guccione 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

    He next faces Croatian Mario Ancic, who battled past countryman Ivo Karlovic 5-7, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in three hours and 34 minutes.

    With Guccione's exit, it marks the first time since 2002 that no Aussie has reached the third round. Wild cards Brydan Klein and Bernard Tomic lost their second matches on Wednesday, while 2005 finalist Lleyton Hewitt bowed out in his opening match to Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.

    In a high-quality match, fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took more than three hours to beat Croatian Ivan Ljubicic 6-7(4), 7-6(8), 7-6 (7), 6-2 in the second round.

    "I played really well out there. I was proud of myself because I was very courageous today," said the Frenchman.

    French No. 12 seed Gael Monfils and No. 24 seed Richard Gasquet also joined countrymen Simon and Tsonga as second-round winners. Briton Andy Murray and American James Blake came through too.

    In women's play, sixth seed Venus Williams crashed out, losing to Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the upset of the tournament so far.

    The loss to the world number 46 continued the seven-time Grand Slam champion's jinx at the season-opening Grand Slam, which she has failed to win in 10 attempts.

    Three-time champion Serena Williams tamed Argentine Gisela Dulco 6-3, 7-5 but she had to recover after Dulco took a 5-2 lead in the second set.

Serena Williams of the United States returns the ball during the second round match of women's singles against Gisela Dulko of Argentina at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Jan. 22, 2009. Serena Williams won 2-0 (6-3, 7-5).

"Today I was at like a D minus at best," she said. "But it's good that I was able to win when I wasn't playing my best. I definitely will try to do better."

    "She had some opportunities but I never felt like I was going to lose."

    World number four Elena Dementieva of Russia was barely tested in her second round match, prevailing over Czech Iveta Benesova 6-4, 6-1.

    Dementieva, who claimed the Beijing Olympics gold medal last August, overpowered Benesova with 20 winners to just seven from the Czech and stretched her unbeaten streak to 12 matches after winning Auckland and Sydney titles early this season.

    Her reward will be third round clash against Australia's Samantha Stosur.