Serena in second round

MIAMI, MARCH 25.Last week's Indian Wells champions, Serena Williams and Andre Agassi, maintained their Masters Series mastery on Saturday night with second-round wins at the Ericsson Open.

First, fifth-seeded Williams, wearing a hot-pink tennis dress, turned up the heat on Bulgarian Pavlina Nola, 26, to post a 6-1, 6-4 victory.

Australian Open champion Agassi, 30, wrapped up the night session by giving 19-year-old American hopeful Taylor Dent a 6-4, 6-2 lesson to run his 2001 record to 18-2.

Agassi, who last year dismissed up-and-coming American teen-ager Andy Roddick in the second round here, showed wild-card entrant Dent what he was up against in the opening game when he returned a 142 mph (229 kph) serve and eventually won the point.

Earlier, top-seeded Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten handled a tough second-round assignment by overcoming crafty southpaw Hicham Arazi of Morocco 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4 with the help of some vocal South American supporters.

``When I play here, it's more like I'm playing for US (Brazil),'' Kuerten said. ''It's like we're playing at home. We don't have a tournament at home. ``In Miami, they give me special treatment.'' Kuerten served up 10 aces in the one hour, 53 minute match and never offered the 53rd-ranked Moroccan an opportunity to break serve.

Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati, brimming with confidence after winning her first Grand Slam title after 11 years on tour, opened her quest for a first Ericsson Open Trophy with a confident 6-4, 6-0 second-round victory over fellow American Jennifer Hopkins.

The results: Men: Andre Agassi bt Taylor Dent 6-4, 6-2 ; Gustavo Kuerten bt Hicham Arazi 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4 ; Patrick Rafter bt Bob Bryan 6-2, 6-1; Mark Philippoussis bt Michael Chang 7-6 (7- 2), 6-4; David Prinosil bt Greg Rusedski 6-3,6-2.

Women: Serena Williams bt Pavlina Nola 6-1, 6-4; Jennifer Capriati bt Jennifer Hopkins 6-4, 6-0; Arantxa Sanchez Vicario bt Barbara Rittner 6-2.

-Reuters.

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