Sheer determination and an absolute refusal to back down are traits on which Hewitt has built a career.

Against a young Russian with mighty weapons, Hewitt needed both in large measures before finally clinching his third round spot.

"I'm just relieved to be in the third round. Happy to get out of it in four sets instead of five," Hewitt, 22, said. "I am not one of the hot favourites like the Spanish guys and the Argentines, but I am happy to be at the back of the pack."

A three-minute stroll away, Hewitt's girlfriend Kim Clijsters romped through in some style.

All sweetness and light, the blonde Belgian barely broke a sweat as she ran through Marlene Weingartner 6-2, 6-2.

CRAMPED QUARTERS

The second seed out-manoeuvred and out-hit her German opponent to record the victory with the minimum of fuss. She next faces Paola Suarez after the Argentine ousted American Corina Morariu.

Men's third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero advanced, but not before taking a swipe at the organisers after his second round match against Chile's Nicolas Massu was placed on one of the outside courts.

The Spaniard, beaten in the final last year by Albert Costa, is a favourite for the title and was less than impressed when he found himself on the cramped quarters of the number two court.

"I feel I'd done well before arriving in Paris but I was placed on an outside court so maybe they don't consider me as one of the favourites," said the 23-year-old Ferrero after Massu retired midway through their match.

"To play in the second court is okay but a lot of people who wanted see the match couldn't get in."

KUERTEN SOLID

Three-times French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten put in a solid gold performance to thrash Hicham Arazi 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 and reach the third round.

The Brazilian needed just 82 minutes to complete the annihilation of Arazi on the Suzanne Lenglen court.

If Arazi was surprised by the severity of the defeat, the crowd were no less shocked when the Moroccan won just 45 points all match.

Kuerten, Roland Garros champion in 1997, 2000 and 2001, will next face either Olivier Mutis or Gaston Gaudio.

Third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero eased into the third round after Chile's Nicolas Massu retired with a sprained ankle.

Massu, who sustained the injury during his first round win over Sweden's Magnus Norman, was trailing 6-2, 3-0 when he quit.

The 84th ranked Massu received treatment on the ankle throughout the match but having been given the run-around on the slow red clay by a merciless Ferrero, he finally gave up.