Agassi sweeps past Johansson

Ossian Shine

Andre Agassi and Marat Safin steered a safe course to the French Open second round on Tuesday as ninth seed Magnus Norman floundered in five sets.

The Swede, runner-up at Roland Garros last year, threw away a two-set lead to slump out 4-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-2 to little-known Spaniard David Sanchez.

Second seed Safin beat Austrian Markus Hipfl 6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 to boost his fragile confidence.

"I think some people may have forgotten that I am still playing tennis," he said afterwards. "It would be great to get some good results here, I need to get some confidence back.

Australian Open champion Agassi shrugged off his indifferent claycourt form to ease past Sweden's Thomas Johansson 6-2, 6-3, 7-6.

The third seed arrived in Paris with just one win on clay this season, but looked as comfortable on the Roland Garros Centre Court as he did when he lifted the 1999 French title to complete his Grand Slam collection.

"I feel good and ready but there are a lot of good claycourt players out there who are feeling the same way," he said.

Top seed Martina Hingis swept into the second round with a crushing 6-1, 6-0 victory over Gala Leon Garcia of Spain.

The Swiss world number one was in imperious form as she began her bid for a first French Open title.

Finalist in 1997 and 1999, Hingis tore through the first set with the minimum of fuss, moving the Spaniard from side to side on the Centre Court.

She refused to ease up in the second set and tormented Leon with her unerring accuracy before closing out the match after 58 minutes with a forehand.

STRANGE SITUATION

Women's fourth seed Jennifer Capriati overpowered France's Emilie Loit 6-2, 7-5 to ease into the second round.

The Australian Open champion thumped winners all over the Parisian Centre Court on the way to victory over the home hope in 65 minutes.

"I've got a lot of confidence and I'm playing well," she said.

U.S. Open champion Safin was never at his best on Court Suzanne Lenglen against his 81st-ranked opponent, but did enough to advance.

The Russian has never been beyond the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, and faces Francisco Clavet or Alex Calatrava of Spain in the second round.

"I am in a strange situation," said Safin, who has yet to win a tournament this year. "I have been injured, couldn't play for a month-and-a-half with a back injury.

"I am now in my fourth week back and have nothing to do but play tennis.

"I am in a perfect situation. Nobody is expecting much from me so I am an outsider even though I am seeded two."

SWINGING FREELY

Capriati played with poise and power on Centre Court against her French opponent.

Swinging freely, the 25-year-old American broke Loit immediately but could not consolidate the break until game four.

Looking lean and fitter than in previous years, Capriati eased into a 3-1 lead with a series of sizzling groundstrokes as Loit wilted in the sun-baked arena and she took the opening set in just 25 minutes.

The French crowd, muted by Capriati's power play, rallied in the second set when the left-handed Loit broke for a 2-0 lead.

Capriati, a semifinalist at Roland Garros 11 years ago, bounced back for 2-2 but again her concentration lapsed. She fell 4-2 behind and Loit seized her opportunity to hold for 5-2 with some confident strokes.

Capriati fought off a set point in the next game with some brave hitting and Loit faltered.

She abandoned the free hitting style which had proved so successful and began to push the ball nervously around court.

CLUMSY ATTEMPTS

Capriati pounced on two clumsy drop shot attempts and smashed away a woefully short ball to hit back for 5-4.

With the spring back in her step, Capriati held for 5-5 as Loit's game fell apart.

Her backhand disintegrated and, after she was broken to love for 6-5, she sent her racket crashing into the red clay.

Capriati sealed victory on her third match point when Loit pushed another backhand into the net.

Earlier, 1998 champion Carlos Moya beat fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 6-4, 6-0, while Belgian Olivier Rochus beat Swiss Marc Rosset 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

France's Sandrine Testud, the number 17 seed, beat American Dawn Buth 6-1, 6-1.