Scud, Molik advance at Wimbledon - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Scud, Molik advance at Wimbledon

By Paul Mulvey 27/06/2003 05:51:03 AM Comments (0)

Mark Philippoussis and Alicia Molik are the only Australians left at Wimbledon after the second round.

Philippoussis and Molik both cruised into the third round with convincing straight sets wins, but Scott Draper and Wayne Arthurs bowed out.

Philippoussis beat French qualifier Cyril Saulnier 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-2) while Molik surprised 31st seed Elena Likhovtseva 6-3 6-4.

Draper was knocked out in straight sets, going down 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 6-1 to Czech Radek Stepanek who will face Philippoussis on Saturday and Arthurs lost to 13th seed Sebastien Grosjean 6-3 6-4 6-7 (14-12) 6-3.

After taking the first two sets and breaking the Frenchman early in the third, Philippoussis looked like he was rolling to a simple win.

But Saulnier broke the world No.48 for the first time to put the set back on serve, with Philippoussis taking the match in the tiebreaker.

"I think today was a lot more solid than the fist round," he said.

"I felt good on the serve and volleying and on the ground strokes."

Molik faces a tough third round against third seed and French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardene, who won their two previous encounters, at the US Open and Fed Cup.

The third round is the furthest the South Australian has gone at Wimbledon, but she was happier with her form than her progress.

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