Venus, Seles survive scares to advance at Open

Venus Williams fought a knee injury and a tenacious Daniela Hantuchova to stave off a shock third round defeat at the Australian Open on Friday.

The second seed, with her left knee taped, bounced back from a set down to win 3-6 6-0 6-4 and book a clash with Manuela Maleeva.

"After the first set I settled in started playing well," she said afterwards.

"I talked with my mom and my dad and Serena about the injury. I took yesterday off. I didn't want to but they made me."

Venus was joined in the fourth round by four-times champion Monica Seles who also survived an early scare to battle past plucky Italian Francesca Schiavone 6-4 6-4.

Third seed and three-times champion Martina Hingis faces Germany's Barbara Rittner later on Friday.

In the men's draw, 26th seed Jiri Novak booked his fourth round spot. The Czech beat Spain's Francisco Clavet 6-3 6-4 6-1.

Sixth seed Tim Henman, the highest remaining seed left in the draw, takes on compatriot Greg Rusedski in a night match billed the Battle of Britain.

The third round clash is the first time since the sport went professional in 1968 that two Britons have met at the Australian Open.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov's conqueror Alex Kim fell to fellow qualifier Chilean Fernando Gonzalez 6-2 6-2 6-3.

Venus fought back from a terrible start to advance as she looks for her maiden Australian Open singles crown.

Hantuchova completely outplayed the error-prone American in the first set, racing to a 4-0 lead after breaking the reigning Wimbledon and U.S. Open champions' service twice.

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But Williams bounced back to win the second in some style and edge the third.

The hot favourite to win in Melbourne, Williams showed some signs of discomfort from the tendinitis in her left knee which flared before her second round match.

Her movement was hampered and Hantuchova made the most of it, mixing up her game with plenty of delicate chips and drop shots to make Williams run as much as possible.

"I had played her before, at Wimbledon, and knew what sort of player she was. "I knew it wouldn't be easy," Williams said.

She next meets 13th seed Maleeva on Sunday. "The last time I played her she won and it was a nightmare. This time I hope I win and it is a dream."

Eighth seed Seles dropped the opening service game of her match to an in-form Schiavone, who beat the American in the Hopman Cup team event in Perth two weeks ago.

Schiavone continued that good form into her third round match against Seles, rifling groundstrokes almost at will past a surprised opponent.

Seles, winner in Melbourne from 1991-93 and again in 1996, calmly worked her way back into the set to break Schiavone's serve in the eighth game and then again two games later to claim the first set.

Schiavone, seeded 31 and yet to win a tournament title, repeated the dose in the first game of the second set by breaking Seles's serve again.

Seles used all her experience to break back immediately, though, went on to secure victory and will next meet either Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues or Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy in the fourth round.

Williams then looms as Seles's most likely quarter-final opponent.