TOKYO, 2 October 2003 — Paradorn Srichaphan narrowly averted defeat at the Japan Open yesterday, the Asian number one squeezing past big-serving Belgian Dick Norman 4-6, 7-6, 7-6.

Later, a resurgent Mark Philippoussis pummeled Argentine Federico Browne 6-4, 6-3 under the floodlights to reach the last 16 of the $860,000 event in Tokyo.

A quarterfinalist in his hometown Bangkok last week, Paradorn dug himself out of a hole at a set and 2-0 down in the second. The third seed finally broke back in the eighth game before taking the tiebreak 7-3 with a ferocious backhand pass.

Broken by Norman in the eighth game of the final set, Paradorn produced a string of superb shots to hit back in the next game. “I was down 5-3 and he was serving for the match and 30-15. It was almost done,” said the 24-year-old Thai, chasing a third ATP Tour title of the year.

Earlier, second seed Sebastien Grosjean won his first match since August with a businesslike 6-3, 7-6 success over towering Croatian Ivo Karlovic.

The Frenchman, counterpunching effectively against his 2.08-meter opponent, took the first set comfortably and prevailed 10-8 in a high-quality second-set tiebreak.

World number 10 Grosjean, who had not won a match since a second-round victory at the Tennis Masters Series in Montreal, plays Dutchman Dennis van Scheppingen in the third round. Fourth-seeded Czech Jiri Novak beat German Bjorn Phau 7-6, 6-2 while ninth seed Kenneth Carlsen also advanced, the Dane overpowering Goichi Motomura 6-2, 7-6.

However, just-engaged Takao Suzuki gained a measure of revenge for Japan, ousting 14th-seeded South African Wesley Moodie 6-1, 7-6 behind a sharp serve-and-volley game. Suzuki plays Paradorn next.

In the women’s draw, top seed Ai Sugiyama squandered three match points before finally putting away a determined Yuka Yoshida 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 in a tense all-Japanese affair. Sugiyama, Japan Open champion in 1997 and 1998, next plays Aniko Kapros after the Hungarian thrashed Switzerland’s Emmanuelle Gagliardi 6-0, 6-2.

Capriati Falls at First

Hurdle in Moscow

Jennifer Capriati’s debut at the Kremlin Cup was short-lived as the top-seeded American slumped out of the tournament’s second round yesterday.

World No. 5 Capriati, who had benefited from a bye in the first round, was beaten 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 by Russia’s Elena Bovina, losing the third set tiebreak 7-3.

The 32nd-ranked Russian was eager for revenge after losing to the American 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round of the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven two months ago. On that occasion Capriati went on to clinch her first title since last year’s Australian Open. Capriati was a late addition to the field in a bid by organizers to make the $2.3 million tournament more attractive for spectators following the withdrawals of her compatriots Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams, through injuries.

After winning the first set 6-4, Capriati took a 4-3 lead in the second and seemed to be on track for a comfortable victory. But Bovina battled back, claiming the next three games to level the match at one set all.

In the decider, Capriati again took control, forging 5-3 clear before wasting a match-point in the ninth game.

Second seed Amelie Mauresmo of France joined Bovina in the last eight after overpowering American Alexandra Stevenson 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on center court.

The exodus of seeded players continued on the men’s side with two Spaniards, Felix Mantilla and Feliciano Lopez, joining top seed Sjeng Schalken on the sidelines.

Third seed Mantilla fell to a 6-2, 6-0 defeat by American Taylor Dent in the first round, while seventh-seeded Lopez was bundled out by defending champion Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-1, 6-4.

Dutchman Schalken, last year’s Kremlin Cup finalist, was beaten by Russian qualifier Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-1 in the first round on Monday.