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Agassi continues winning streak

It's been a mixed bag for those wanting to make a comeback to big time tennis.

Andre Agassi stretched his winning streak further, thumping compatriot Bob Bryan 6-4, 6-3 in the opening round of the $315,000 Mercedes Cup.

Top seed Patrick Rafter, who has been hampered of late by nagging injuries to hip, back and knee, came back in style to roll over Ramon Delgado of Paraguay 6-3 6-2, then said it's the best he's been moving in a long time.

Agassi, who took his third title of the year a week ago when he won the Legg Mason, improved his streak of straight wins to seven, and said that after a long time, he felt good on the tennis court. "I really feel I can step on the court with anybody and expect to win. I'm hitting the ball pretty cleanly and moving really well," said Agassi, after routing a player who, while not yet in his teens, had plastered his bedroom walls with Agassi posters.

Showing indications of a changing style of play, Agassi mixed his trademark baseline game with successful net forays, rifling in 11 aces to stun the ATP rookie across the net.

Earlier, second seed Tim Henman checked a rash of upsets, when he went past South African Grant Stafford 6-3 6-0. Earlier, Guillaume Raoux of France accounted for third seed Goran Ivansevic of Croatia 6-4 6-4, the Croatian star struggling to get his serve going throughout the match, while Sargis Sargsian of Armenia, who has been getting a bit of a rep for pulling off upsets, did for sixth seed Wayne Ferreira of South Africa 6-1 6-2.

ON the distaff side, however, Jennifer Capriati, attempting yet another comeback, was stymied by a first round defeat at the hands of upcoming 20-year-old Corina Morariu. Capriati lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 loss Tuesday in the first round of the Bank of the West women's tournament at Stanford, California.

In another match, Mary Joe Fernandez -- who, like Capriati, is attempting a comeback -- accounted for Chanda Rubin 6-4, 6-4.

The rust showed on Capriati, especially on the serve, as she committed seven foot faults during the game.

Morariu, ranked 36 in the world and two years younger than her opponent Capriati (ranked 117), said that she thought the latter still had a good game of tennis, even if she was not playing anywhere close to her peak.

"I feel stronger, more confident," Capriati said after the game. "I think I'm getting close. It will take more matches and I'll need to get into better shape."

For Mary Joe, it was her first win of the year, and her first tournament appearance since April.

"It feels great to be playing again," said Fernandez.

"She was hitting the ball pretty well," said Rubin. "She was a little slow from lack of matches, but overall it was a good match."

THE biggest upset of the day, however, came in the first round of the Croatia open in Umag, in that country, when number one seed (and world number two) Carlos Moya was unceremoniously dumped in the opening round by world number 99 Paul Haarhuis, of the Netherlands.

Haarhuis, better known as one half of the world number one-ranked doubles combo in tandem with Jacco Eltingh, prevailed over the French Open champion 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.

Earlier, defending champ Felix Mantilla of Spain coasted through his first round game against Lars Burgsmuller of Germany, 6-3, 6-3. Also advancing were third-seed Karol Kucera of Slovakia, who knocked out former French Open champion Sergi Bruguera 6-4, 6-0, and fourth-seeded Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten who downed big-serving Marc-Kevin Goellner of Germany, 6-0, 7-6 (7-3).