Russian Ace Sends Martin Home Early Kafelnikov Sweeps American 6-1, 6-4, 6-2

Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the youngest and perhaps the last of a generation of promising Russian tennis players, beat Todd Martin in straight sets today to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

Playing from the baseline with nearly flawless precision, Kafelnikov capitalized on Martin’s 50 unforced errors to win 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

“He’s solid as a rock,” said Martin, the No. 8 seed who lost in the final here a year ago to Pete Sampras. “The guy is already a great player and everybody I know thinks he’s going to be even better.”

Kafelnikov, 20, played on the Davis Cup team that went to the first final for Russia last month, where it lost to Sweden. But Kafelnikov is not optimistic about the future of the game in his country’s weakened sports system. Coaches, courts and funds are scarce for developing players.

“Russian tennis is struggling right now,” said Kafelnikov. “We don’t have any big coaches or good facilities. The coaches are all going overseas. I don’t see anybody (coming up) for the next five years because, basically, I’m the last one.”

Kafelnikov, seeded No. 10, lost 9-7 in the fifth set against Sampras in the second round at the Australian last year, and that close match gave him the confidence that he could beat the best players. Against Martin, Kafelnikov made only 22 unforced errors.

“He wasn’t the same Todd Martin as last year,” Kafelnikov said.

Martin could hardly disagree.

“I’m just disappointed with the way I played,” Martin said. “It’s not my forehand, my backhand, my volleys. I just played badly all around, and Yevgeny played well. He came up with some good points or I shot myself in the foot.”

Patrick McEnroe, a first-round victor over Boris Becker, fell in five grueling sets in the midday heat to Jacco Eltingh, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (9-7), 5-7, 6-4. Eltingh served 34 aces in the 3-hour match, 29 more than McEnroe.

Naoko Sawamatsu, whose family home in Kobe, Japan was destroyed in the earthquake, continued her inspired run in the tournament with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) victory over former two-time Australian finalist and No. 11 seed Mary Joe Fernandez. Sawamatsu, who broke into tears when Fernandez hit the final shot long, had never reached a quarterfinal round in 18 previous Grand Slam events.

Former Stanford player Marianne Werdel Witmeyer, who upset Gabriela Sabatini in the first round, made the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event for the first time in her career with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Barbara Paulus.

“I’ve enjoyed tennis more the last year or two, and that’s made a big difference,” said Werdel Witmeyer, a 27-year-old who had played in 29 previous Grand Slams without getting past the third round. “When you’re younger, sometimes you feel like you have to play, and as you get older you realize you don’t have to play, and you do it because you want to do it. I enjoy practicing every day. I look forward to going out and playing.”

“I didn’t really want to do it,” she said. “I don’t like it that it makes it so long and so confusing. But it was my accountant who told me it was kind of a hassle doing my taxes. Half of the checks were in Werdel, and half were in Witmeyer.”It gets really confusing, and sometimes I make plane reservations and I don’t remember which name the frequent flyer is under. So I just decided to add that on this year, and then next year I’ll probably just change it all the way.”Perhaps the most intriguing quarterfinal match will be between the winners of the last three Australia Opens, defending champion Sampras and 1992 and 1993 champion Jim Courier.

Down the road

The early exit of seventh-seeded Michael Stich fails to surprise. The German has been complaining of burnout for months, but appears to have done little to back off his schedule.

Stich played 55 consecutive tournaments in 1994, winning more than $2 million for the second year in a row. Like many top players, Stich can’t resist lucrative exhibitions.

Burnout is a very real, but often ignored, problem in tennis. Most top players dedicate themselves to performing well in the Grand Slam events, but their hectic schedules don’t appear to back that up. Becker’s first-round loss may have been hastened by playing in a meaningless - but profitable - exhibition two weeks ago.

Hair update

Andre Agassi is accustomed to the attention focused on his hair. One would think his recent shearing would change that. Nope.

His convict hairstyle and hipster goatee have been fully examined here. But even Agassi, who is so often on the cutting edge of fashion, acknowledges he’s behind the times.

He equates his new look with a new attitude.

“The haircut is about a year late,” Agassi said. “I started my journey a year ago, and I really felt like it took a lot of perseverance. (I) made it through some rough months for the first five or six, and then things started happening for me.”

Agassi said the change was not calculated for shock but simply a matter of taste.

“Believe it or not, that was all that was behind it,” he said. “It feels much better. I can get ready now in about 6 minutes.”

Agassi said his previous primp time depended on whether he wore a cap.